Not As Bad As We Thought
by MorningStories
Summary: When Pidge overhears Allura crying over her future, she decides to take matter into her own hands and does the only thing she can think of: asking for Lotor's hand in marriage. Will they be unhappy for the rest of their lives or will their relationship develop into something more?
1. Chapter 1

The night was always the Green Paladin's day. She thrived in the dark, and was sluggish when sunlight landed on her skin. Maybe that was why Pidge had always wanted to go to space- to be completely surrounded by the night, she was a powerhouse of energy. Until now.

Currently, Pidge was shoving through the refrigerator, looking for anything to get her energy surging again. Surely there were a few alien energy drinks left from the space mall. Not finding anything and guessing that Hunk had hidden her drinks once again, Pidge decided that she should probably sleep. It was a big day for everyone tomorrow, anyways. But then, on her way back, she couldn't help but hear Allura and Coran talking.

Pidge never means to eavesdrop.

Okay, that was a lie, but Pidge was curious, though she thought she already knew what they would be talking about. It had been the most talked about and avoided subject in the castle: the marriage of Allura and Lotor.

"Coran, I don't know if I can do it- My father only ever wanted me to marry for love. I know he helped us win the war, I know, but whenever I look at him, all I can see is Zarkon and my people dying.."

"Allura-"

Pidge didn't want to listen anymore.

It was three weeks ago that the war ended. In that time, political conferences were held, Pidge turned nineteen, and Matt went off on another rescue mission. Hunk and Lance finally stopped pining and got together. Shiro started sleeping regularly, and Keith let his sword out of his sight for the most part. Everything was going to be okay.

Until they got the message from a reluctant Lotor. It wasn't his fault, not really.

The leaders of the planets in the immediate and surrounding provinces had decided that they wanted to start off the Peace with an alliance between Voltron and the Galra. Of course, they wanted a marriage to bind the two together. Immediately, the most popular were the princess and Lotor.

After all, who didn't love a wedding?

Allura was devastated. The proposal was set to be a public spectacle, to happen at a banquet- and the party was the next day. But was there anything that Pidge could do?

Of their own accord, Pidge's feet went the opposite way of the hangar where Green was waiting. Instead, they took her to the room Lotor was currently inhabiting. Pidge hasn't actually spoke to the Galran prince before, not one word. But now was a good time to start she supposed. She didn't even know what she was doing there in the first place, but a plan was forming in her mind, and she knocked on the door.

Once, twice.

She held her breath until the door opened, a disgruntled and tired looking Galran prince appearing in front of her. Lotor looked puzzled to see the green paladin, but he quietly invited her in nonetheless. He offered her some tea and she accepted, the room quiet as he bustled around and set a mug into her hands.

Finally, he broke the silence. "What is it that I can help you with, Miss Katherine?"

Pidge drummed her fingers on her mug. Index-Middle-Ring-Pinky. Over and over. How was she supposed to word this?

"It's about tomorrow's proposal," Lotor nodded and Pidge felt a bubble of confidence in her as she continued. "Does it have to be with Allura? Would anyone closely related to Voltron work?"

Lotor thought for a few moments. "It doesn't have to be with Allura, no. What are you thinking of?"

Pidge couldn't stop the words from rushing out of her. "So it would work if you were to marry me instead?"

Lotor paused, his entire movements ceasing. It was if he had forgotten how to function. Finally, he said, "And why would you want that?"

Pidge bit her lip and took a drink of the tea. It was bitter and cold, though she could have sworn it had been scalding just a few moments ago. "I overheard Allura talking about how unhappy the situation is making her. How she's expected to follow through because she's a princess even though her father wanted her to marry for love," Pidge looked at him. "She's already been through a lot. I want her to be happy."

"But will this make you happy?" Lotor's voice was surprisingly soft, and it startled Pidge so much that she forgot how to form words for a few moments. Would this make her happy? No. But when she thought about how miserable Allura was and how she could stop it, and decided.

"If Allura gets to fulfill her father's dream, then I will be," And surprisingly, Pidge believed herself.

"Then I accept your proposal," Gently, Lotor took the tea mug from Pidge. "But you should get some sleep now. From what I heard from the other paladins, you don't get enough anyways."

Pidge got up and followed Lotor out of his room and down the hallway. The walk was surprisingly comfortable, even with the conversation they'd had just minutes prior. When they were outside Pidge's door, Lotor took her hand and kissed her calloused and greased knuckles before disappearing back down the hall. Pidge didn't bother changing into her bed clothes as she slipped underneath the covers of her bed, her stomach twisted in a tight knot.

xx

The next morning, Pidge could barely drag herself out of bed. She'd tossed and turned all night, plagued by thoughts of the next day. The kitchen was full to the brim with people when she finally entered. This was especially because of Lotor and his generals. Everyone was buzzing around, getting ready for the day's big event. Allura was nowhere to be seen.

Lotor said nothing to pidge as she walked in, but she could see the acknowledgement in his eyes. The green paladin averted her gaze and sat down next to Lance, who was sighing dreamily.

"What's your problem?" She asked as Hunk put a plate down in front of her, making sure to kiss his boyfriend before dancing away. Hunk was always graceful in the kitchen.

"It's just my boyfriend, Pidge. He's so dreamy."

Pidge snorted and began eating, though her insides lurched with every glance at the Galran prince. Allura finally appeared in the doorway, her hair pinned up in curlers. She didn't acknowledge Lotor at all, which made his friends glare.

"Paladins! I completely forgot to tell you, but you should wear your paladin armor to the banquet tonight. No need to find any fancy clothing. I'll see you all in a few vargas," She then made a hasty exit.

"Doesn't she mean like a couple vargas? The banquet starts in three," Hunk asked, but everyone shrugged.

Suddenly, Pidge didn't feel like she could eat anymore. Lance didn't even notice when she left. Pidge retreated back into her room, but was too worried to even focus on her robots. Was she supposed to tell everyone before the banquet, or wait so they can to nothing to stop her? The first would make her a good friend, but she couldn't let them stop her. This was something she had to do. For Allura.

She was pacing around when her brother entered, without knocking, of course. Pidge stopped immediately.

But Matt was always able to see straight through her. "What's wrong?"

Pidge avoided answering. "I didn't know you were back. When did you get here?"

"I got back literally just now, but-"

"How did your mission go?"

"It was good, we got everyone and there were no casualties. Katie-"

"And what was the planet like?"

"Katie, come on. I know there's something wrong with you. Just spit it out," Pidge sighed inwardly.

"I'm just worried about Allura and the banquet tonight," She couldn't lie to her brother- he would know immediately if she did, but half truths never seemed to occur to him.

Matt pulled her down to sit on her bed, taking her hands gently in his. "Katie, everything is going to be fine. As a princess, it's Allura's duty to ensure alliances in this manner."

"That doesn't make it right though," Pidge grumbled, finally looking up at him.

"I know," Matt hugged her to him tightly, and she relished in the warmth, pretending for just a moment that it was going to turn out okay. "But we can't change anything."

No, she thought, you're the one who can't change anything.

The Holt's sat like that for some time, until they were ushered to change for the banquet.

xx

Pidge was uncomfortable to say the least.

The banquet hall was massive. Everything was white with blue accents- The tablecloths, the flowers, even the napkins. Leaders from every planet in the province were gathered around and mingling. They especially wanted an audience with the five paladins of Voltron. Pidge tried her hardest to be polite, but her smile kept slipping into a grimace.

Allura hadn't been late, and she was as beautiful as ever. She was wearing a pink and blue Altean style dress, her white hair in loose curls that cascaded thickly down her back. She kept her head high with a pleasant smile on her lips. She never looked uncomfortable, but Pidge could see the indents of where her nails had dug into the skin of her palms.

Pidge's heart was pointing as Lotor stepped onto a raised floor in the center of the room, looking calm and collected as ever. His voice echoed around the room, but Pidge couldn't see any microphone device. Nevertheless, the room was quiet- he had their attention.

"Good evening, everyone. This banquet marks the first step towards the New Peace! I am honored to be before you as a part of it. I have many plans for our bright future, to cast the darkness that my parents created away from us," There was a cheer, and Lotor waited for it to die down before continuing. "Now, to make a great alliance, a wedding must be had to bond everyone together," Pidge heard Allura take a quick breath. "And if she would, would Miss Katherine Holt please join me?"

There was a collective gasp, and Allura looked over at the small paladin sharply. Pidge averted her gaze and made her way over to the raised platform, keeping her head high as she imagined the princess would do. Lotor waited until she stood beside him before speaking again, letting a bit of warmth trickle into his words, or was she imagining it?

"Miss Katherine has offered her hand in marriage, and I have accepted. Together, she and I will work together to restore peace and goodwill among the galaxy," Lotor briefly looked down at her. "You all will be getting invitations soon. Thank you very much- We hope for many happy years to come!"

And with that, Lotor was finished. He looked down at her and whispered quickly, before the mob was upon them. "You are very brave, Miss Katherine. Would you do me the honor of wearing my ring?"

Pidge nodded numbly and felt a cool piece of metal slide onto her finger. Looking down, she could see clearly that the jewelry was a work of art. It was a mans ring, but Lotor's fingers were slender like hers, so it fit nicely. It was a simple silver band, tinged green with leaves engraved into it. In the middle stood a single, brilliant lilac colored stone.

"It's beautiful," Pidge said, and was startled when Lotor chuckled.

"It was my grandfathers. He didn't want my future spouse to wear something that my parents may have picked out," He laughed. "He said they had bad taste," Lotor leaned back then, putting a careful hand on the small of her back. They stayed like that for the rest of the banquet as leaders tried to smother them with their congratulations. When Allura and the other four Paladins came up to them, the looks in their eyes said that they were going to have a talk later.

Right after the banquet finally ended, Pidge had several small presents that, from the looks of them, had definitely been for Allura. Lotor walked Pidge back to Alfor's castle. "Tomorrow, we will be leaving for another quadrant to announce the news there. Please be ready after your breakfast," Nodding to himself, Lotor turned back at the doors, leaving Pidge to go in alone. Now that they were on a Galran planet, Lotor didn't have to stay in their castle anymore. Pidge took a deep breath and opened the door, and wasn't surprised to see everyone standing in the foyer. No one said a word, but she got the message and followed them into the kitchen anyways. Allura started when everyone had a mug in their hands.

"When did you decide to do this, Katherine?" The use of her full name made Pidge flinch.

"Last night."

"Why?"

"So you could be happy and do what your father wished," The words just left her, but she didn't meet anyone's gaze.

"How is that supposed to make me feel? Surely you don't want this? It is my duty as princess of the Altean court to assure alliances like this."

"Pidge," It was Shiro now. "You're just a child."

Pidge fixed her gaze on him. "I'm nineteen Takashi. An adult. You're not my father."

Shiro's look was level, his eyes hard. "You're father told me to take care of you."

"When I was younger, yes, but it doesn't matter anymore-"

There was an outcry now. Everyone was yelling at her except Lance, who sat looking at the tabletop. Soon, Pidge had had enough.

"Shut up! I'm doing what I think is right, and you guys not being supportive is making it worse. There's no turning back," The room was quiet now. "I'm leaving with Lotor in the morning." And with that, she left the room.

Pidge went straight to her lion and sat by her pay, feeling a pressure lift off of her immediately. Green surged understanding and acceptance through Pidge's entire body, and she sighed in relief. Opening her eyes, Pidge noticed Lance standing silently in front of her.

"Look, I don't feel like arguing anymore-" But instead of saying anything, Lance only sat by her and hugged her small body to him.

Almost immediately, she started to cry.

Lance rubbed soothing circles into her back, cooing something in his native language. It helped calm her down as she listened to the beautiful sounds, and soon enough she would only occasionally sniffle. She didn't move, but asked, "Why haven't you said anything?" Lance carded his fingers through her hair for a moment before saying anything.

"Because you're already stressed from the situation, and saying anything will just make it worse."

"What do you think about it though?" She couldn't help but ask, but was almost afraid of his answer.

"I think if you think what you're doing is the right thing to do, then I'm going to support you."

Pidge's fingers tightened on the fabric of his shirt. "Thank you."

"No problem, Pidgeon. Now lets go get you packed, yeah?" His nickname for her made her smile.

Back in her room, she realized that she had tools and projects- too many to take with her. Lance seemed to notice her dilemma immediately.

"I'll give you my duffle bags, and I'm sure Hunk wouldn't mind giving you his either."

"Thank you for everything, Lance," Pidge's voice was uncharacteristically small, but Lance didn't say anything about it.

Pidge was packing what little clothes she owned when Lance returned, followed by the other paladins and Allura. All of their eyes were red and puffy, signs of crying. Before Pidge could say anything, the princess held her hand up in a surrendering gesture. "We're not her to say anything. We're here to help you pack."

Pidge nodded, tears of gratitude flooding her eyes. God, she really needed to stop crying. "Thank you guys."

Everyone set to work immediately, having brought their own bags with them. Shiro worked on getting Pidge's books together while Hunk and Matt carefully picked up her projects. Keith was folding up her blankets. Lance and Allura had decided to continue on with her clothes.

"You don't really have much clothing, do you?" The princess said, eyeing the almost bare closet.

"I've only ever had about a weeks worth," Pidge shrugged.

"I'll be back," Allura suddenly said, leaving the room. Lance glanced at Pidge and then back at the closet.

"What happened to your jacket?"

"It was shredded in a mission a few months ago," Pidge said. "I haven't really had the time to get another one," Lance was already pulling his own jacket off. "What're you-"

He held it out to her. "Have mine."

"No, Lance, I can't- You got that from your mother."

"And she would beat me to a pulp if she knew I let a friend go somewhere without a jacket. Pidge, please. To remember me."

"I don't need a stupid piece of clothing to remember my best friend," Pidge said, but she took the garment nonetheless and slipped it on over her armor, still warm from the heat of Lance's body. "Thank you."

"Anytime," Lance was back to folding her clothes like nothing had happened. Every so often, Pidge could see her friends glancing at the ring on her finger, but she didn't say anything. Instead, Pidge grabbed things out of her drawer, putting them in the bag of clothes. When everything was in, it was still barely half full, though now she had five other bags full of scraps and tools.

"Well now we see where your priorities lie," Keith said, a grin on his face. Pidge managed a smile. It was then that Allura returned, carrying a bundle of bright and elaborate clothing.

"I remembered," She said, "that I had some clothing from when I was younger. It should fit you, and it's the perfect style for a future queen."

Pidge's eyes widened. She'd forgotten all about that. "What am I going to do? I don't have any training in this-" Pidge could feel herself panicking until Allura put a gently hand on her shoulder.

"No ruler does, not really. I'm sure Lotor will answer any questions you may have, and so will I."

Allura dropped the clothes when Pidge jumped up and hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much," Soon, Pidge was being smothered in a groups of her friends. It reminded her of when Keith had been trying to leave for the Blade of Marmora, but they convinced him not to. It was then that she remembered something.

"What's going to happen to Green?"

"Well," Allura said once everyone pulled back, "I hadn't thought about it. I think-"

"No, it's okay. There isn't anyone to fight anymore anyways," How many times had she cried in the last day? Too many- she needs to get her act together. "It's fine."

"That's probably for the best," Shiro said quietly. "Even with the alliance, we can't afford to divide the lions again."

"But Pidge," Allura interjected, "Please keep the armor. Who knows if you'll need it? Your bond with your lion is one of the strongest I've ever seen. She won't let you get hurt, no matter how far away you are."

"But it's getting late, and you need to sleep," Hunk said.

Everyone went to turn, "Will you all stay with me? Please- just for tonight."

Everyone smiled, and before she knew it, everyone was dressed and there were several mattresses on the floor, covered in blankets and pillows. Matt laid on her left and Lance was on her right. It took a while before the lights were out and everyone calmed down.

"Pidge?" Matt whispered, hic voice amplified by the silence. "Are you scared?" It was as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for her to answer.

"Yes," She said it under her breath, but everyone heard.

She stayed huddled against everyone for the rest of the night. One by one they all fell asleep until Pidge was the only one left. She spent the rest of the night listening to her friends deep breathing and whishing to remember that moment for the rest of her life.

xx

In the morning, Pidge was gently shaken awake. Everyone was gone but Allura, who looked down at her kindly.

"They're making breakfast," The princess explained. "I'm going to help you get ready. The first thing about being a queen is presentation. You're already lovely, Pidge, so all we have to do is enhance that."

Pidge nodded blearily and got up, inspecting a few outfits laid out on the floor. Allura continued, "I took the liberty of, uh, messaging- is that what it's called? Well, I asked him what you could be expecting today, and he said that you would be going into the next part of the galaxy to be featured in a broadcast of your engagement. He planned that out so you wouldn't have to meet a lot of new people."

"I'll have to thank him later," Pidge murmured.

"So, which do you like best? The faster you pick, the more food you get to eat."

Pidge deflated when she noticed that they were all dresses, though she had to admit- they were very beautiful. Quickly, she chose the dark green dress, embroidered with gold thread. The color made her feel closer to green.

Pidge had a hard time figuring out how to put the dress on but was able to get it on with some help from Allura. After repacking everything, they made their way into the dining room. When Pidge walked in, several whistles sounded, and she flushed.

"Oh my god I can say I'm related to royalty," Matt said, a glint in his eyes.

Pidge didn't hesitate. "Shut the hell up, just keep using your 'I came back from the dead' line."

"Pidge," Hunk interjected before things could become heated, "come eat." When Pidge got a plate, she saw that everything on the table was her favorite foods. There was even a few that she remembered from their garrison days. She pointed at them.

"Let's hope they don't taste like pigs," Everyone but Allura barked out a laugh.

"Garrison joke," Shiro explained, and then they dug in.

Pidge enjoyed her food until a bell sounded, sending her heart flying. She'd almost forgotten.

"I didn't know the castle had an alarm," Lance said, his head cocked to the side.

"I installed it with Coran last week," Pidge said distractedly. Just like that, her worries were back.

"I'll get it," Shiro said, but it didn't matter; Pidge was already out the door.

"It would be rude of me to not be there." Was her only explanation.

Lotor was standing there, hands behind her back. His blue eyes widened when he saw Pidge, and she blushed.

"Miss Katherine, may I be so bold to tell you- You look absolutely divine," Pidge thought she could see his own cheeks darken when he noticed that she wasn't the only one there. He coughed. "Are you ready? I have a few people with me that will grab your things."

"Yes, I-" Her eyes widened, "Excuse me, I actually have one more thing I have to do first," And with that she tore down the hall, kicking off the flats Allura had given her.

Within a few minutes she was standing in front of her lion. Green had ben patiently waiting. Pidge stood in front of her, placing a hand on her metal paw. Pidge could swear that she felt a dull thrum underneath her fingertips.

"Well, girl," She said, her voice cracking. "Looks like the end of the line," She had to take another moment. "I'm going to miss you."

Pidge didn't know how long she stood there until someone cleared their throat behind her. It was Lotor, and he looked slightly uncomfortable.

"I'm terribly sorry miss Katherine, but we really must be leaving," He held up her shoes. "I grabbed these for you," Pidge took one last look at her lion before turning and joining Lotor at the door.

"Sorry. I'd forgotten to say goodbye."

"I completely understand. I'm sorry you have to leave her," Lotor did seem like he genuinely did feel bad.

"It's alright," Pidge took her shoes from him and put them on. "We should get going though."

"Right," Lotor held the door open for her as they left. Pidge didn't look back.

The goodbye she said to her friends and brother were harder. Everyone took a turn to hug her tightly, and before everything was said, she was on Lotor's ship and flying away. She looked at the castle until she couldn't see it anymore. Immediately after, she was whisked away from the window and taken on a tour of the ship, courtesy of on of Lotor's generals, whose name she found out to be Acxa.

Axca was curt and to the point as she talked, and Pidge thought it'd be best if she kept her mouth shut. It didn't take long for the Galra general to deposit Pidge into her room. She was told to wait there until Lotor came to 'collect' her. Pidge didn't appreciate how it was worded, but she bit her tongue and waited. She felt more like an object than a person already.

The room was rather large- more like a small apartment, really. Her bags were in a pile in the corner, and Pidge figured that she would be staying there for a while. It was only a few moments of quiet until someone knocked on her door. Pidge looked up and called for them to come in. It was Lotor, of course, and Pidge stood up immediately- She'd been fiddling with a peculiar looking plant in the corner. He didn't say anything about it.

"Miss Katherine, we're going to be arriving at the news studio in just a few dobashes. I'm sure princess Allura has already informed you?"

"Oh! Yeah. Thank you, by the way."

"It's not a problem. I figured it would be better," Lotor said. "Anyways, I have a few questions to ask you, if I may come in?"

Pidge's eyes widened when she realized he was still standing in the doorway. "Of course- I'm used to people just coming in when they wanted."

"I see," Was the only thing Lotor said as he entered, stopping just a few feet away from where Pidge was standing. She could feel the awkward tension in the air. "There are a few matters that need to be discussed before we're filmed."

"Shoot," Lotor blinked.

"Shoot what?" For once, Pidge could feel a small smile slipping onto her face.

"On Earth, it's just a way to say 'go ahead'."

"Why don't you just say that then?" Lotor asked, but then shook his head. "Never mind that. What day to you want the wedding to be?"

Pidge's heart fluttered. Of course it had to be talked about- she couldn't avoid it forever.

"How about April twenty-second?" Pidge say more confusion on Lotor's face and rushed to continue. "It's in seven quintents. A week."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not going to put it off forever. We have to start sooner or later."

"You're very smart. I already have someone panning it, unless you want to? I'm told that Earth women usually want an elaborate wedding planned by themselves-"

"Oh god, please don't."

"No? Is my information inaccurate?"

"For me, yes. Women usually want big weddings, but I'd rather just have a small amount of people that I know. and stuff, but does it have to be a big celebration? Do you want a big wedding?"

"It always has been in the past," Pidge deflated, "but I suppose it's not tradition, and I'm not a big fan of big gatherings wither. It will be a small ceremony then. And you'll want all your friends there as well I assume?"

"Yes, and yours too."

"I'm afraid that I don't have any friends, " Lotor said i tin such a way that Pidge's heart twanged.

"What about Axca, Zethrid and Ezor?"

"They are my comrades."

"So are my friends."

"If it makes you happy, I'll invite them when I talk to the wedding planner."

"Thank you. Also," Pidge averted her eyes. "I'll be your friend." Looking up, Pidge saw the makings of a smile on the Galrans face.

"I appreciate that," There was a pause. "Also, during the broadcast, I'll do most of the talking. No offense intended, but you haven't had the necessary training for speaking in front of an audience."

"No, I completely understand."

There was a call over an intercom system, and Lotor looked over at her, offering his arm, "Ready?"

Pidge gently put her arm in his and took a deep breath, "Yes."

The planet they had landed on reminded pidge of New York- not that she'd ever been there. She'd only seen pictures, brought home by her mother's sister. Everywhere, different races milled around, most with video recorders and other kinds of camera equipment, hoping to get the next big hit.

Lotor led her down a few blocks, keeping his head low, but people still noticed. Some people screamed his name, and then he was hurrying Pidge along, the generals keeping the mob at bay.

"I knew we should have landed closer," Lotor muttered as they ducked into a random building to their right. It looked to be a hotel, the only person inside being an elderly alien behind the counter. He didn't look up when they came in. "We still have a few blocks to go. That landing place was the closest one," He finally met her gaze. "I'm terribly sorry about this."

"It's alright. I'm sure if anyone tried to do anything we could take them. And I'm used to it anyways- I'm a paladin, remember?"

Lotor's lip curled in a wry smile. "It's hard to forget. The bad thing about being royal is that we aren't supposed to fend off any attackers. It's seen as undignified."

Pidge arched a brow. "It that tradition?"

The Galran prince chuckled. "Well, no. I wasn't going to follow that anyways. But we can't hardly be violent with fans. It's just a hassle trying to get away from their cameras."

"I understand," Pidge thought for a moment. "Why don't we just run?"

"Run? I had thought of that, but my legs are a lot longer than yours."

"I've been running every day for the past four years. Bring it on," She leaned down and removed her shoes. "I'm ready now."

Lotor eyed her feet. "Without your shoes?"

"They'll just slow me down," was all the explanation she gave. Lotor seemed to realize this and held out a hand.

"Then let's run, shall we?"

Pidge laced her fingers through his, and they exploded back into the street. The mob was being held back by Zethrid, Axca and Ezor. They looked back when they heard the door open.

"Your Highness!" Zethrid shouted, but Lotor was already cutting through the crowd, pulling Pidge along with him. She brushed by people, but her footing was always sure, so she didn't stumble. Lotor didn't let go of her hand when they were free from the crowd. Instead, he looked back at her and laughed. Pidge marveled at the sight, telling herself that her heart was only pounding from adrenaline.

"I'm surprised you didn't fall!" He shouted. Pidge pumped her legs faster until they were right beside each other, no one taking the lead.

"I told you- I'm a paladin!"

"The building is just up here to the right."

They slowed then and entered. No one from the original mob was behind them- they'd been going too fast. Lotor wasn't even breathing heavy, but Pidge didn't allow herself to either.

Suddenly, Lotor turned to her, his eyes sparkling, "Would you mind joining me for dinner after this?"

Pidge breathed out a "Yes,", and then someone was calling Lotor's attention.

"Your Highnesses, you made it just in time. I am Neba, and I'm going to lead yo to your prep rooms, okay?"

Lotor nodded and the doors burst open behind him.

"Lotor, a little warning please."

"Maybe next time," They were following Neba, and Pidge could hear the generals whispering.

"Was that a joke?"

"They're holding hands-"

"I though yesterday was the first time they'd ever spoken?"

Pidge's cheeks burned when she realized that they were, in face, still holding hands. Neba led them down a series of hallways before finally stopping.

"I made sure your rooms were right next to each other," He said, "There's about fifteen minutes before call, so you may freshen up if you wish," It was if he was looking directly at Pidge, who was looking down at her scratched feet, clearly visible underneath the hem of her dress.

Their hands finally slid apart when they entered their respective rooms. The first thing Pidge did was sit and grab her phone from a convenient pocket in her dress and called Lance. He answered almost immediately.

"Hey hunny-bunny. What's up?"

"I'm about to do the news things, but I'm freshening up first or whatever," She rolled her eyes. "I just miss everyone."

"We miss yo too. Also, I saw a video where you and Lotor were holding hands and running. What do you have to say about that?"

"That already in the- Whatever. Anyways, I just wanted to check in. How is everything going?"

Lance took a moment to answer. "Everyone's just upset that you're gone. Allura most of all I think."

"Allura?"

"Yeah. She's blaming herself because you took her place, and we know you're unhappy. Matt told us about your dream wedding from when you were kids and it kind of got to us."

Pidge thought about earlier. "That's just the thing. I'm not completely unhappy. Lotor seems like a pretty cool dude. And no weddings are perfect."

"Really?"

"Yeah, like he's taking my feelings into account when making decisions," Pidge told him about the conversation they'd had earlier about Earth woman and weddings. "When he found out I wasn't comfortable with that, he immediately changed everything."

"That's really awesome actually. Whenever he was here, he seemed standoffish."

"I know, but I think he was just nervous in a new area. But he asked me to dinner, and I'm kind of freaking out about it. Like, I spent most of my teen years looking for my dad and brother, and fighting a fucking war!" Pidge ran a hand through her hair. "I've never been on a date before."

"Pidge, just be yourself. I'm sure he'll love you just like everyone else." Pidge's heart gave a particularly loud thud.

"I don't know Lance. I think I'd rather be fighting a giant monster right now."

"You'll be fine," The door to her room opened, and Neba peered in.

"Miss Holt? It's time."

"Look," She said to Lance, "I've got to go. Love you."

"Love you too! You'll do great!" Pidge ended the call and got up, slipping her phone back into her pocket. Leaving the room, she once again met Lotor.

"Ready?" He asked, and Pidge grimaced.

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess," She put her shoes back on when they started walking. Pidge noticed Lotor's dress change and asked, "Was I supposed to change too?"

Lotor shook his head. "I only changed to match you more."

Pidge was spared from saying anything else- at that moment, Neba turned around.

"Here's the stage. Now, the feed is going to be live, but there isn't going to be an audience. All we're going to do is ask you both question about the wedding and any upcoming plans for the New Peace. Does that sound okay?"

Lotor nodded, then looked down at Pidge. "How does that sound to you?"

"It sounds fine," She said, but she knew from firsthand experience how news broadcasts actually work- they'd said her brother and father were dead, even when she gave them evidence of it being false. Obviously, she'd been right.

The stage looked like any normal living room: Plush couches, a coffee table. The only thing was missing was two entire walls. A woman got up from her chair when they entered, a pretty pink skinned girl with curly blonde hair. She shook both of their hands with a bright smile before speaking.

"Thank you both so much for coming. It's an honor- I'm Simone."

"Thank you for having us," After exchanging pleasantries about their trip and such, they got to sit down on the loveseat with mugs of warm tea.

"So, can I ask you guys a few warm up questions before we start rolling?" When given the go ahead, Simone straightened in her seat. "You two got engaged yesterday. How much do you know about each other?"

"Admittedly not a lot, but we're working on it." Lotor said, looking over at Pidge. She decided that the loveseat was a little small.

"And Katherine- can I call you Katie?"

"I'd actually prefer if you didn't." Pidge said, hoping she didn't sound rude, but Simone only made a little note and continued.

"No problem. You've been fighting the war since you were fourteen. What did you think when you became a paladin of Voltron?"

"It was amazing! The tech alone was gorgeous."

There was a pause. Pidge's heart was pounding in her chest- she hoped that Lotor couldn't hear it.

"Alright your Highnesses, we're going to begin in three, two, one..."

Simone looked to the cameras. "Hello everyone! I'm currently with the most talked about couple across the galaxy- Prince Lotor and Katherine Holt! We're going to be talking some about the New Peace and the couple's upcoming wedding," She turned back to face them. "So, about the wedding first. What are you guys thinking of doing with it?"

"Well," Lotor said, "we're going to have a small wedding, with only immediate family and friends. We'll have a gathering later for a big celebration after Katherine and I have settled in, but that's still way in the future."

"And what day?"

"Seven quintents from today."

"Katherine," Pidge's heart leapt painfully, "what kind of theme are you thinking of?"

"Something to do with nature and a lot of sun." She said, trying to keep the waver out of her voice. She thought she did pretty well, and made sure not to look at the cameras.

"That sounds absolutely lovely! And I see you already have a ring? Lotor, is there anything you want to tell us about it?"

"Oh, it's just a family heirloom," He said, shrugging with an easy smile. Pidge wondered if she'd been the only one he told.

"It's just beautiful," Simone gushed. "Katherine, a little birdie told me that you're originally from Earth, in a country called Italy? Would you mind telling us about it?"

"Well, it's settled around a fault line, so there's a lot of earthquakes, but then it's also by a few volcanoes, which have erupted three times in the last hundred years. It's very beautiful." To be truthful, Pidge hadn't thought about Italy itself since she'd been gone.

"But why would humans live there if it's so dangerous?"

"I don't think that there's another place any Italians would rather be."

"I guess that's understandable then," Simone laughed. "Now, about the New Peace," Pidge thought she felt Lotor's arm twitch where it pressed against hers. "What are some things you have planned for that?"

"Well, for starters, we're going to oversee special cleanups of every planet and plant new vegetation. Then we're going to take care of things from the palace on Galra, and help any way we can. That's the only information I can give you."

"Will Katherine be helping with this?"

"Of course, she is to be queen. Why would she not?"

"Well, since Katherine is a paladin of Voltron, rumors have been going around that she would mainly be spending time with her lion and the others as she has done for the past four years. Anything to say about that?"

Pidge couldn't help but speak up. "I still and always will be a Voltron paladin," She took a deep breath. "but as of now I've stepped aside to fulfil my duties as queen and help Lotor help the galaxy and our people." Pidge kept her eyes on Simone, but she could feel Lotor's gaze on her face.

The broadcast didn't last much longer after that. Simone thanked them again and curtsied before leaving. Neba reappeared.

"That was wonderful. Thank you both very much for this opportunity."

"It was our pleasure. Where is the rest of our party?" Lotor was as calm and collected as ever; Pidge envied him.

"They were asked to stay in the lobby. They were assured that you were most protected."

"That's not enough," Lotor muttered, and when they entered the lobby, it was obvious that he was right. Immediately when the doors opened, three heads turned and his generals immediately leapt to their feet.

"Your Highness!" Zethrid shouted when they drew nearer. "They wouldn't let us through."

"It's alright, Zethrid. I am able to take care of myself you know."

"Well yeah," Ezor said, in a 'duh' sort of way. "but we were still worried."

Lotor looked taken aback, but was kept from saying anything when Axca spoke up, "Where are we going next?"

"To the ship, and then I'll give you orders from there."

They bid goodbye to Neba and left then, the return trip surprisingly easier, since the locals knew the ferocity of Lotor's companions. Zethrid's glare was particularly deadly.

Pidge noticed Lotor looking at her from time to time as they walked. Aafter a few minutes of this, she finally asked him what he was doing.

"I was just thinking," He said, "that even though you don't have any training, you have a talent for keeping your emotions in check while on camera. You did very well. You handled that last comment nicely."

"Well thank you," Pidge said, blushing. She hoped that it was too dark for him to see it. "Though I would be way better if you gave me some tips."

"I'd be happy to." When they got back to the ship, Lotor escorted her to her room and went to turn around before Pidge's voice stopped him.

"How much time am I going to be spending in this room?"

"Well, we will be using this vessel for some time, but you are not confined to that specific area, of course."

"Axca made it pretty clear that she didn't want me wandering around."

Lotor sighed. "Axca is jealous, but she doesn't have any authority over you. You are of higher rank. You're free to move as you please- you /are/ my fiancée after all, so you have clearance to everything," He raised an eyebrow, and she felt stupid. "I will see you in two hours, miss Katherine." Lotor walked away then, Pidge stuck in place for nearly a minute.

Where were they going to eat? Should she dress up more, dress down or keep what she has on? Never in her life had Pidge thought so much about her looks.

Going into her room, she decided to forget about it and unpack. Her books went o the shelf and all of her clothes in the dresser. All the furniture was nailed to the ground in case of turbulence or an attack. She decided to try and keep her projects in a somewhat organized manner, but she ended up just dumping them in the corner.

She fiddled with a few wires that had sprouted form a piece of torn metal. What was she supposed to do for two hours? Lotor had said that she could go where she wanted, but she wasn't entirely comfortable with that idea yet- especially not without Lance or Hunk. Suddenly, she felt alone.

She was- She'd left all of her friends and got onto a ship that was god-knows how far away. It had been less than a day, but she already felt a hole inside her.

Determined to get out of her slump, Pidge sat down by her hunk of scraps and began toying with them, surrounding herself with tools. She bit her lip, deciding if she had enough scraps to make what she had in mind.

"Where are the goddamn wall outlets?"


	2. Chapter 2

Two hours later, Pidge lay on her back, a massive grin on her face. She'd made a small flower that opened when hit by sunlight. Then it would proceed to collect the rays and glow at night. Well, it was supposed to, anyways. She just had to put it in the sun rays first. There was a small knock on her door. Pidge got up quickly and called for them to come in while she smoothed down her skirt.

Lotor appeared in the doorway, his eyebrows raised. "Been busy, have we?"

Pidge looked down at herself. There were a few grease smudges on her hands. "Oh, yeah. I just got done making something. Wanna see?"

Lotor moved towards her as she picked it up off of the ground and placed it in his open palm.

"What is it?" He asked, turning it around in his hands.

"It's just a trinket really." She told him the functions of it.

"That's amazing!" Lotor exclaimed, a new shine in his eye. "Please show me when it starts working." A blush warmed her face. "You can have it."

"I will cherish it all the time. Thank you miss Katherine." He seemed so sincere, Pidge had to look away.

"It's no problem."

"If you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask- I can get you any tech you need."

"Thank you! I appreciate it. You can be sure that I'm usually somewhere working on something."

"Then I'll always give you whatever you need. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, but I probably need to wash up first."

"Okay."

Pidge quickly disappeared into the bathroom and washed the black grease off of her hands, watching it go down the drain. She returned to where Lotor was waiting, still studying his gift.

"I'm ready now."

"Awesome. We'll be on our way then." Pidge blinked.

"Did you just say the word 'awesome'?"

"What? No," Lotor sounded appalled, but he was looking the other way. "You must be hearing things."

Pidge's eyebrow raised, but she didn't pursue the matter.

She followed Lotor our of the ship, feeling every eye on her. She didn't meet anyone's gaze, but continued walking with her head held high, as if she didn't notice. The Galrans were skeptical of her- she'd have to earn their trust somehow.

As they exited, Pidge noticed the new planet, and the lack of guards around them. It also seemed to be early morning. She asked Lotor about this.

"I had them take us to a planet that was uninhabited to people wouldn't be staring at us all night. Everything was set up when we landed."

"Set up.. for dinner?

"Yes."

Looking around, Pidge couldn't help but be in awe. They'd landed before a deep lush forest with different shades of green. Occasionally there would be a burst of color from a flower or an animal, but they never strayed from the path as they walked, like she wanted to.

"If this planet is uninhabited, why is there a foot path?"

"No reason."

Pidge nodded and said nothing else as they went along, both taking in the sights. For whatever the reason, Pidge felt the need to take up the silence with her own voice.

"I've always been the tech geek, so I never went outside or anything." Pidge glanced u pat him. "There's a point. But then, ever since I became bonded with Green, I've always felt the need to be outside, with the sun on my back and the dirt between my toes. I just," She stopped, looking down, "I don't want to be inside all the time. I've been in a castle constantly for the past four years. I don't know if I can do that again."

"Miss-"

"Please just call me Katherine. Adding that just seems so formal."

"Alright, Katherine. we aren't always going to be traveling the stars, you know. A lot of stuff will be done at the palace on my home planet, where we have a garden that needs a caretaker desperately, and enough soil to be covered for days. How does that sound?"

"Absolutely perfect. Thank you."

"It's no problem. Now, may we be going?"

"Yes," Pidge blushed. "Sorry."

"It's alright." Lotor started walking again. "We're almost there anyways. Thank you for sharing that with me." Pidge couldn't detect any sarcasm from his statement.

It was only a few minutes later that they came out on a clearing, where a table was set in the middle of the wildflowers. Small light stones led a path down to it, and the white tablecloth swayed in an invisible breeze.

"It's beautiful," Pidge whispered, transfixed.

"I'd hoped you'd think so." Pidge had the overwhelming urge to take off her shoes, so she did, sighing when she felt the dirt underneath her feet.

A second later, Lotor bent over and took his off too, and they walked down the path together. At the table, Lotor pulled her chair out for her and she looked around. The table was already full of different types of food. Lotor sat across from her.

"Is there anything special you do before eating?"

"Not unless I'm home. Do you?"

"No, I don't. Why do you only do anything when at home?"

"My parents are religious and like to pray before they eat."

"What religion do people on Earth practice? I've always been curious."

"Earth literally has thousands of different religions. In America, an Earth country, you and five other people can start a new religion. In my country, the main religion is Christianity, and that's what my parents follow. It's about only one god, and you have to follow a set of rules to get into a holy place when you die."

"And do you believe in this?"

"No, not at all. I know there's such things as magic for a fact, and the bible Christians go off of specifically say things like that don't exist, so I think, if I know one thing isn't true, why would anything else be?" Pidge hoped that she didn't leave anything major out. "What do you and your people believe?"

"Galra have only one religion, but there are all kinds of different ways to follow it, since there are many gods. It's important to know that these gods didn't create anything- they only watch over and protect when they feel it's necessary. Many think the deities left us, and that was why the war started. Myself, I don't believe in any of it."

"That's understandable."

"You're not eating," Lotor said, looking at her still hands.

"Oh, right. I was so absorbed in the conversation I forgot that there was food," With that, Pidge bashfully picked up her fork and dug in, not really looking at what she ate.

"Are you not going to glance at what you're eating?" Lotor asked, but Pidge shook her head.

"I've learned not to judge food by how it looks."

"That's a good mindset to have." Lotor took up his utensil and started eating as well. "Is it okay if I keep asking you questions?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

"What is your favorite color?"

Pidge was surprised to say the least. "Green," She replied anyways. "What's yours?"

"Orange, even though it doesn't look good on me at all," Lotor seemed to think about this a lot it seemed, though Pidge had a fleeting thought about how hard it must be for Lotor to not look good in something. "Do you like animals?"

"Yeah, of course- I especially like cats though."

"Yes, I can see why. Do you like reading?"

"I love reading! I have a big collection of books that I brought with me, actually. You can borrow whatever you'd like, too."

On and on it went. Lotor never asked her anything major- only questions about what she liked and felt about things. Pidge learned that Lotor was a fan of cats, knitting, swordplay (of course) and wanted to dye his hair. It wasn't until she noticed the sun rising that she realized how long they'd been outside. Their food was long past cold and barely touched, each being absorbed in one another. Lotor saw this when she yawned, standing up immediately to escort her back to her room.

On their way back, Pidge said, "Thank you for this. I had a good time."

He gave her a small smile. "I'm glad you liked it. Thank you for accompanying me," Then, as an afterthought, "I liked getting to know you more. You're very interesting."

Pidge smiled. "You're pretty interesting too."

The lights were dim when they finally got back to the ship. Pidge could feel her eyelids drooping as they walked.

"We're here," Lotor said gently, and Pidge placed her hand on the door, sliding it open.

"Thank you again," She yawned.

Lotor looked as if he wanted to say something, but all he said was, "Goodnight, Katherine," before he turned and left. Pidge was too tired to think anything about it.

xx

That was the only night Pidge was able to get any sleep before her wedding day. For the rest of the week she couldn't do anything- she could barely work or even eat. The only thing she was aware of was that her wedding day was rapidly approaching.

Everything was set up- the theme, her dress, the reception. All she had to do was show up and say her vows.

She hadn't seen Lotor since their dinner. Even when she left her room in search of a distraction and asked around, she was always told that he was busy. She didn't take it to heart.

She'd wanted to call her friends, but she knew she wouldn't be able to go through the marriage if she did.

Pidge looked at the clock beside her bed, but the time still hadn't changed from the last time she'd looked. She could actually feel the ships' gravity pulling on the bags under her eyes.

She'd always imagined that her marriage would have been like her parents, full of love and laughter. Adorable stories of how they met and fell in love, scrapbooks filled with smiles of toothless kids.

Pidge's lip quivered. She couldn't imagine her marriage with Lotor going like that. Sure, they'd probably get along fine and have a few heirs. Pidge would help Lotor with matters of the galaxy while raising their children to become the best they could be.

Though in the end, they'd married to seal an alliance. There would be no scrapbooks or disgustingly romantic stories. There would just be them and their duty to the people.

Pidge wondered what her mother would think.

She laid there until a pretty Galran girl woke her up to start getting ready.

xx

Pidge rode to the area her wedding was to take place, along in the back of a small cruiser. Her hands were twisting her engagement ring around her finger. She vaguely remembered her mother doing this when she was anxious.

The material of her gown crumpled underneath her fingers. She hadn't felt anything when she'd looked at herself in the mirror- only a sense of despair of what her life looked to be.

Her face felt heavy with makeup even though the girl had assured her that it was a natural look, like from Earth (She'd studied all night). Her dress was white, of course, and had a neckline that made Pidge blush every time she thought about it. A box left for her from Lotor held a pair of diamond drop earrings and a simple single stone emerald necklace.

Her hair was a different matter altogether- she'd cut it herself at the beginning of her time at the Garrison, and kept chopping it whenever she felt it had gotten too long. Since the end of the war, she'd let her hair grow again, but it was frightfully uneven and had to be cut. It was now back to it's old length just above her shoulders, but after that the stylist had left it alone, saying that her curls went with the 'overall image'. They'd placed a small tiara on her head and sent her on her way.

Pidge's hands were clenched when the cruiser stopped. She loosened them and hoped no one would notice the deep crescents in her palms.

"My lady, we're here," Pidge stepped out of the vehicle and offered a polite nod before she was escorted to a small tent just off the path. The wedding itself was taking place in a clearing of forest (A different one from a week ago), and the reception was within the trees.

A woman was standing inside then tent Pidge had been ushered into. "Is there anything you need, my lady?"

"Actually, there is. Could you bring my brother to me please? He looks exactly like me, but taller with a scar on his cheek." The woman bowed and left.

Pidge couldn't help bu pace until the tent's entrance curtain shifted and her brother entered, the woman behind him. "Thank you, ma'am." Pidge said, and the woman nodded before stepping outside. Matt's eyes widened once he saw her.

"Wow, Katie, you look beautiful." Pidge immediately went to embrace her brother.

"I've missed you so much," She held him tighter until, reluctantly, she pulled back. "I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

Pidge took a deep breath and looked into his eyes, identical to her own. "Will you walk me down the isle?"

She held her brother as he cried. "It just isn't fair to you Katie," He said, "Why do you have to do this?"

Pidge patted her brother's back, rubbing circles into the fabric of his tux. "Because it's the right thing to do. So will you?"

Matt removed himself from her shoulder and fixed the top of her sleeve. "Of course, Katie. Of course I will."

They got into place then- the bouquet was thrust at Pidge and she put her hand into the crook of her brother's arm. She felt like a ball of nerves- all jittery, and her heart was pounding. Matt squeezed her hand.

"I love you so much."

It took all Pidge had not to bawl right there, but her voice did shake when she said, "I love you too big brother."

"Make sure you visit often." Right. Everyone was going home now. It hurt her to think that she wouldn't be joining them.

"Of course. Take care of mom-" The music started then. They began walking, but Pidge's legs wobbled so much that she felt as if she would fall at any moment. Somehow she was able to stay upright.

There were only one row of chairs on either side, and only one was empty, so Pidge assumed that it was for Matt.

"I can't believe your alien wedding is on Earth day," Matt whispered, trying to lighten the mood.

"Shut up," Pidge couldn't help but smile anyways.

Lotor was standing at the alter, his mouth set in a line. When he saw her, his features didn't move. He didn't have to act for a group of strangers- they could be themselves and see the situation as it was.

Everyone rose and turned around to see her, her friend's faces forlorn and the Galran's passive.

As she passed, Lance whispered, "You're beautiful, Pidge," She gave him a weak smile and kept going.

When they finally met Lotor at the end, Matt took a moment to steel himself before placing her hand in Lotor's. He had his eyes closed when he did.

Lotor's hand was cool in hers, and she couldn't help but notice how delicate and slender his fingers were. Piano fingers, her mother would have said.

They'd decided to have a mixture of an Earth and Galran ceremony, and Pidge was silently freaking out. What if she forgot something?

The Galran priest bowed to them before beginning.

"We are gathered here today to witness the unification of Lady Katherine Holt and Prince Lotor," Pidge's heart was pounding in her ribs- she hoped that Lotor didn't notice how sweaty her palms were getting.

"Do you, Katherine, take Lotor to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

It was like sandpaper had resided in her throat. "I do."

"And do you, Lotor, take Katherine to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And now, you are wed. May the gods of Earth and Galra watch over you both only your journey together through life. Prince Lotor, you may kiss your bride."

Pidge was shaking, but Lotor turned to her, a smile on his face. It was gentle, and she felt as if that smile itself had taken her worries away. Lotor leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers. It was quick- only a couple of seconds- before he pulled back. There was polite clapping, and then the priest continued.

"It is not time for the binding ceremony-!"

A chain of flowers were brought out and placed around them, pressing them tightly together.

"The binding ceremony is what every Galran goes through. The couple has to wear it together until the end of the first dance. If it stays together, it is a sign from the gods that their marriage will be happy. If it breaks, it will be the opposite.

Pidge wondered why they couldn't just tie it around their wrists , but she was determined not to let the flower chain break- She felt that, even if Lotor wasn't religious, he still believed in simple traditions like this.

Being bound only gave them enough room to stand side by side, without even an inch between them. This meant, so the chain wouldn't break of course, that they had to wrap their arms around each other. Lotor's cool fingers on her shoulder distracted her, but she tried not to show it, though she was sure the fabric of Lotor's suit was wrinkling permanently underneath her fingers.

They awkwardly turned around when the ceremony was over. All ten guests came to congratulate them, though they didn't touch them. It was another part of the binding- no one could touch the couple until after the ceremony was over, lest they break the chain and become the cause of an unhappy marriage.

Allura came up first. "Pidge, you look lovely! We've missed you back at the castle. Oh! And I hope you don't mind that I brought a few extra guests in." Allura opened her purse, revealing four tiny mouse heads. "They just wouldn't let me leave without them."

"Hey guys," Pidge said, "I've missed you too. How is the castle holding up?" She waited until their squeaking subsided. "That bad, huh? Sounds like you should switch around that red and blue wire in the main circuit." Pidge looked up to see Lotor staring down at her. "What? She asked defensively. "I've spent a lot of time with these guys."

"Katherine, I didn't even say anything." The corners of Lotor's lips twitched upwards. Pidge wondered if only she saw.

Allura tucked the mice back into her bag. "I'm holding up the line. I'll talk to you later Pidge!"

"Pidge?" Lotor asked, but she never got to say anything because Hunk and Lance were already in front of them. Hunk was nearly in tears, his boyfriend trying to console him.

"I just want to hug her so bad, but I can't because of the stupid binding ceremony," Lotor's eyebrow arched, and Lance wheezed, wheeling them both away. Keith wouldn't meet their eyes and muttered something before walking away.

"Don't worry," Pidge said, "he doesn't handle his emotions very well."

Shiro gave Lotor a glare that could rival even her father's. "You'd better realize just how lucky you are to be with someone as amazing as her," The sincerity in his voice made Pidge have to look away. Lotor kept his gaze level.

"It's my greatest honor. Her needs are above all else."

"It'd better be, or I'll kick your ass, even if you are king."

"If I did, I would let you."

The moment was broken by a whining Matt. "Shiro, you took my chance of being the tough big brother!" Pidge rolled her eyes as Matt took Shiro's place in the line.

"So, um, ditto to what Takashi just said, but also, I'm think Katie would do just fine kicking your ass herself."

Lotor chuckled. "She wouldn't have any problem with that, no."

Matt's mouth only turned up in one corner. "Good. Now go dance so I can love on my sister." He walked away then in the direction of the food table (of course).

Lotor laughed again, and Pidge could feel it's vibrations against her side. He looked down at her then, and she couldn't identify the look in his eyes.

"Well, Katherine, are you ready to dance?"

"I'm not even sure that I can walk. I don't want the chain to break." She grinned lopsidedly when Lotor laughed. He'd been doing that a lot today, she thought.

"I don't want to break it either. Katherine," Then, he was suddenly serious. "even though this is an arranged marriage-" His voice broke off as if he didn't want to continue, but he had Pidge's attention now. "Do you think we could act like we wanted this, just for today? I don't want to look back on this as a sad affair."

"Who said it was sad?" Lotor blinked, his eyes widening.

"You mean-?"

Pidge shook her head. "Well, no, but I do already consider you my friend. I don't think our marriage will be unhappy, if I'm being completely honest. I thought that for the past week, but that was only because I felt you were avoiding me."

Lotor winced, apologetic, "I'm sorry about that. I was trying to get everything around with the wedding and learning Earth's speak and-" He rushed, "I love track of time," Pidge grinned.

"Is that why you said 'awesome' that one time?"

A faint blush colored Lotor's face. "Perhaps."

Pidge's heart fluttered, and she smiled. "That's really sweet. Thank you."

"It's- really nothing."

"It is to me," Pidge noticed now that they were so close that the flower chain was hanging off of her now. "Why don't we go dance?"

"Whatever my lady wishes," Lotor said, and they started hobbling together toward the designated area. This was so awkward for the both of them because of their heights that Lotor stopped and moved the chain to where it hung along the backs of their necks.

"What're you-" She squealed as Lotor picked her up, her arms immediately encircling his neck, wary to not crush the flowers. "What are you doing?" She repeated.

"It would have taken forever to walk that way. You have such short legs Katherine."

"Shut up!" Pidge laughed. She secretly was glad that she wasn't walking. The heels on the soft ground alone was already killing her. She mentioned this to Lotor, and in response, he shifted her to one arm, removing her shoes with the other.

He started casually walking again. "So, why are you called Pidge?"

"Well, you see, when I was looking for Matt right after he allegedly died, I was banned from the Garrison because I'd been looking at their classified files. I had to go in again under an alias, so I just went with that because I'd heard it from somewhere. When I joined with Voltron, it just kind of stuck. You're the only one that calls me by my full first name."

"Do you want me to call you Pidge?"

"No!" Pidge blushed, realizing that she'd answered to quick. "I like it. It's different."

"Well I'll continue to call you that then."

"Thank you. I've got a question though."

"Shoot," Pidge glanced up at him to see that he was grinning. Her heart throbbed slightly in her chest.

"Why don't Galran's have a last name?"

Lotor took a moment to respond. "I guess we never needed them because all our names are unique. No one in all of Galra has the same name, so we never needed a second one to differentiate."

"How did you not run out of names though?"

"The Galran alphabet has trillions of different combinations within combinations. There's no need to worry."

"That makes sense then. Does that mean my last name goes away?" The possibility of it doing just that didn't sit well with her.

Instead of answering, Lotor asked, "What happens when you Earthlings get married?"

"It just depends on the couple. You can be traditional and take the males last name, or both can take the females. You can mash your names together or choose a new one outright. It works like that for same sex couples as well."

"I wouldn't see why not," Lotor said, "What do you want to do with your surname?"

Pidge answered immediately, "I'd like to keep it."

"Then keep it you will. For me, I'm just going to stick with my name as it is."

"That's perfect then."

"Are you ready to dance?" Pidge looked around and noticed that they were standing in the middle of the designated area, and everyone's head was turned their way. She'd been to involved in their conversation to notice. Blushing, Pidge nodded.

"But I'm going to tell you now that I'm not a good dancer," Pidge warned as he lowered her to the ground.

"That's alright," He murmured, "Just keep your feet on top of mine and we'll be fine."

Pidge's blush deepened but she did as he said right before the music started. It was a simple tune, but it was fast, and they were off. She hoped that her dress was long enough for no one to notice her bare feet on top of his.

It was soon apparent to Pidge that Lotor was an expert in the dancing department. They flew around the grassy clearing so smoothly it was as if they were ice skating. Pidge's hair whipped around and stung her face, but she was laughing too much to care. The song was over a lot sooner than she had anticipated, and by then she was being dipped down so low that the tips of her hair brushed the soft soil.

Applause rang around them as they righted themselves, the Galran general Zethrid bellowing in praise. The priest approached them then and removed the flower chain from them. Pidge sighed in relief when she saw that it was completely intact.

"Congratulations," the priest said, a twinkle in his gray eyes.

Pidge and Lotor both thanked him before she was suddenly hit from the side, big muscular arms wrapping around her. She could hear Hunk sniffling into her shoulder, so she reached around and hugged him to her. Lotor looked at them, a sadness in his eyes. Pidge quirked an eyebrow at him as she rubbed the big Samoan's back, but he only shook his head.

The new couple had some trouble when it came to each other's traditions. Lotor struggled with the confetti they received and looked over at her in confusion. "Isn't there supposed to be cake?"

Pidge shook her head. "It symbolizes 'the bitter and sweet to come'. Cake isn't served in many places where I come from." Pidge explained, nibbling on a candy covered almond. Lotor took a piece and popped it into his mouth, taking a moment to decided if he liked them or not. Pidge assumed that he did when he took an entire handful the next time they came around.

Lotor found it amusing when Pidge had problems braiding his (admittedly beautiful) hair. It was soft and silky, which made it all the worse as Pidge tried to do the simplest braid. He laughed just a bit harder every time she had to undo what she'd managed and start over.

"Though I do like the feeling of your hands on my head, a simple braid is not that hard, Katherine."

Pidge groaned in frustration as she undid the mess once again. "The only thing I ever did with my hair for years was cut it with a knife, Lotor. Don't push me."

Lotor was noticeably quiet after that.

Pidge only finally got it when Lance demonstrated the proper tactic with Allura's hair. Tying the end of the long braid, Pidge finally let it fall out of her hands, her fingers cramping. She put a crown of flowers on top of his head before she took Lotor's place on the ground, sighing when his fingers carded through her hair.

"It's almost an impossible length for a braid, though I really can't do anything for your bangs." He said as he parted her hair. His feather touch sent shivers through her- she'd always loved having her hair played with.

As Lotor expertly braided her hear (Dammit, was there nothing he couldn't do?) Pidge's friends sat in a circle around her, plates of food in their hands.

Matt sat directly next to her. "I can't believe you suck that much at braiding hair," He popped a coated almond into his mouth.

"I can't believe you forgot that you're allergic to almonds," Pidge bit back, and was delighted when Matt's eyes widened and he immediately spit the candy from his mouth.

"What? Really?" He said, looking at her.

"No," This caused everyone to laugh, including Lotor. She could feel his breath on the top of her head.

"Finished," He announced, putting the flower crown on her head and shuffling back. Pidge moved closer to Matt to give Lotor room to sit down.

"What are we going to do now?" Lotor whispered, ducking his face close to hers.

"Just sitting and talking," She gave him an encouraging smile. "It's what friends do."

Matt passed her a plate with an odd crustacean looking food on it, not taking one for himself. She looked at Lotor. "Do you know what this is?"

"It's a delicacy on Galra- very similar to a 'crab' on your planet."

"Is it good?"

"Yes. I've eaten them on plenty of occasions."

She held the plate out to him. "Show me how to eat it."

Lotor quirked an eyebrow but did as she asked. Taking one off the plate, Lotor pried the shell open with his hands and scooped the fleshy, milk white meat out of it. Pidge wasn't sure if she wanted to try it, and the prince seemed to pick up on it.

"I thought you said that you didn't judge food by how it looks?" He smirked when she huffed at him, but she took a piece nonetheless. Though she tried with all her might, she couldn't get the shell to break in half as he had. Now her friends were watching her as she struggled, but Lotor took it from her gently and broke it open, offering it to her.

"It's not that I'm weak," Pidge turned her head. "It's just that my hands are slippery from the stupid lotion they put on me this morning."

"Of course," Lotor said knowingly.

Feeling that her dignity was returned, Pidge took the shell and put the meat into her mouth. Immediately, her eyes closed and she moaned, the wonderful creamy flavor coating her tongue and overtaking her senses.

"This is so good!" She exclaimed, and then was horrified by how she'd reacted.

"I'm glad that you like them," Lotor said, a slight edge to his voice. He cleared his throat. "You may have the rest if you wish."

"Thanks," Pidge mumbled, blushing. Lotor then started helping her open the rest of them, but she kept one for herself, determined to open it.

"I will get it!" She refused to eat any of the others until the one she had was open.

"Well this is going to take forever then. Why don't we play a fame in the meantime? One that'll help the newlyweds get to know each other better?" Pidge narrowed her eyes at Lance's devious grin. When he met her stare, he winked at her. "Any suggestions?"

"What he means by that," Hunk sighed, "is that he already knows what he wants. Get on with it."

Lance pouted, "Hunky, you took the fun out of it." With a knowing look from the Samoan, Lance deflated. "Fine. I want to play Never Have I Ever."

Lotor blanked. Pidge was focused on tearing open her food, but she still managed to explain. "You come up with scenarios or instances that don't pertain to you as an individual. If another player has done whatever you said, then you have to put a finger down. If you lose all ten, you lose. The first person to lose has a walk of shame."

"That's what I want to play. Any objections? No- okay," He hadn't even given anyone time to object, but they were used to this, so they rolled their eyes and complied. "Me first! Never have I ever pretended I was a boy."

Pidge squawked. "Oh, fuck you. You're the only one that was surprised." Pidge put one of her fingers down. Then, she had a marvelous idea. Setting down her food, she took a convenient rock and smashed it before devouring it hungrily. She was famished- she'd barely eaten in the last week.

"That's one way to do it," Lotor complimented. Pidge grinned at him toothily.

In the circle was all of her friends, but excluding Coran and the Galran generals. Hunk's turn was next.

"Never have I ever disliked my food," Nobody dared to even to pretend to lay a finger down- no one wanted to die that painfully. Satisfied, they went on.

Allura shifted awkwardly. "Never have I ever worn those light up sneaker shoes," She grinned when she and Lotor were the only ones to not have moved, the others mumbling angrily. Pidge was still in the lead to lose.

Shiro thought for a moment before speaking. "Never have I ever piloted the Green Lion."

"What the shit Takashi?" Pidge bellowed. The Japanese man only laughed, the skin around his eyes crinkling slightly.

Lotor hesitated, then said, "Never have I ever made Katherine laugh," Pidge looked over at him as he bent one of his fingers down. "Just trying to get back at them for you."

"I appreciate it," Pidge grinned. "Never have I ever piloted the Black Lion."

"I hate you!" Keith groaned and Shiro chuckled.

Matt rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. "Never have I ever stolen a drone from my big brother."

"Goddammit Matt it was _one time_ ," Pidge put down another finger.

Keith smirked. "Never have I ever intentionally spilled coffee on someone who pissed me off."

Pidge narrowed her eyes. Were they- "Hey! You guys are trying to make me lose!" She only had five fingers remaining, while everyone else had seven or eight. Lotor had nine.

Lance wiggled his eyebrows. "I'm gonna say it. Never have I ever had sex."

They were all adults, Pidge reasoned. Or so she thought.

"Oh my god?" Matt squeezed his eyes shut. "Someone did it with my baby sister. Oh my god."

Lance's eyes were wide. "I only said that because I thought you were a virgin I swear I just wanted to even the scales oh my god-"

"Why is it such a big deall?" Pidge asked, but Matt was still freaking out beside her.

"When? Who? Who do I have to kill?"

"It's really none of your business," Pidge said. She looked at Lotor, "I don't know how you feel on the matter, but I'm not a virgin."

Lotor shrugged. "Anything you used to do with your body is none of my business. It is not my place to judge."

"I really don't want to be here right now," Matt squeaked. He looked as if he were having an internal crisis.

"No one's stopping you from leaving. I don't remember who he was anyways. Never asked for a name."

"/That's even worse!/" Matt's voice had pitched up a few octaves. Pidge only shrugged.

"Hunk, it's your turn."

"Ah, okay. Never have I ever hacked into Galra tech."

"Hunk!" Pidge shouted. "You were supposed to be on my side," Lotor looked interested.

"That was you then?"

"Every time, actually," Pidge had the decency to look sheepish.

"That's amazing!" Lotor exclaimed. "You should show me how to do that sometime."

Pidge grinned. "Sure."

Allura cleared her throat. "Never have I ever cried over a plant dying naturally."

Pidge shot her a glare. "You know that plants make me emotional," Looking down at the two fingers she had left, Pidge sighed. "Might as well throw in the towel."

Lotor blinked. "You don't have a towel."

"Oh! I know this one," Allura seemed pleased with herself. "It means to give up."

Shiro chuckled. "Never have I ever avoided sleep for a whole quintent," The Galran prince looked concerned when she put a finger down for this one as well. She glared at Shiro.

"Shouldn't you be confessing as well, Takashi?"

"I don't avoid sleep. I'm just not good at it."

Lotor glanced at her final finger. "What is a walk of shame?"

"They're going to decide a punishment that I have to do when I lose."

"Then what have you not done?"

Pidge only shrugged. "There's no telling."

"Then never have I ever already done the walk of shame."

Pidge shrieked. "If I'm practically the loser now, what makes you think I haven't lost before?"

"I thought you to be pure of heart when I met you."

Matt thought this was hilarious.

Sighing, Pidge scowled. "Just know that I'll get you all back," That seemed to sober them significantly. "It can't be anything to do with taking my clothes off this time!" Pidge interjected. "This dress was hell to put on."

"This time?" Lotor asked.

"Last time they made me take off my clothes and jump into the pool," Pidge explained.

"That sounds awful," Lotor sympathized. Pidge only shrugged.

"It is what it is."

"Alright, Pidge, we've figured it out," Lance wasn't joking more- he was uncharacteristically serious, and Pidge swallowed harshly. "We want you to answer one question."

Her throat turned into sandpaper. "What is it?"

"Are you going to be okay?" Lotor stiffened beside her, waiting for her answer.

Would she? Whenever she imagined her future, it was never supposed to be like this. Then again, when did anything good in her life go according to plan? Pidge looked at Lotor and could easily distinguish the sadness in his eyes.

"I'll be more than okay," She heard herself say, and watched Lotor's eyes widen as he looked down at her. Her friends were relieved, to say the least.

"I want to dance with the beautiful bride!" Hunk yelled suddenly, getting up and pulling Pidge to her feet and onto the clearing. Their friends laughed and joined them, forming a loose circle.

Pidge couldn't help her giggles as they danced, and soon their friends joined hands and spun circles around them. Pidge caught sight of Lotor, who was still sitting on the ground, watching them in amusement. She beckoned him to her.

Lance and Allura broke apart to let Lotor in, and Hunk slipped into the spinning group. Lotor nudged her flower crown with a smile.

"It's gone crooked."

"Fix it then," Pidge said, and Lotor's eyes were bright as he did, tucking a curl behind her ear. The planet was getting dark now, stars filling the sky. Pidge could swear that Lotor's eyes were reflecting them.

After dancing, it was decided that it was time to go home. Everyone was tired, and Pidge's feet were sore, so she bid her friends goodbye and went back to the ship with Lotor. They were both quiet, reflecting on the day's events.

"Did you mean it when you said you were going to be happy?" Pidge looked up at him sharply.

"I don't lie," She said, "I'm going to be fine. But what about you? You could have had Allura." Lotor stopped in the middle of the path, his eyes disbelieving.

"What are you saying? Are you implying that you're not the better choice?"

Pidge was suddenly uncomfortable. "Well, yeah. Allura is prettier, she's more experienced with politics-" Before Pidge could go one, Lotor held up a hand.

"Katherine, you are- absolutely beautiful. Stunning, really. To me, your beauty is the real prize. And with politics? It doesn't take long to learn, and you have brilliant mind. You're funny and you surprise me so much already," Lotor paused. "and I'm really glad that you asked me to marry you, because I'm already a lot happier than I was previously, even if I were to marry the princess."

"You're.. glad?"

"Yes, Katherine," Lotor chuckled. "I'm glad."

Pidge bit her lip, but it couldn't hide her smile. "I'm glad too."

When they finally got back to the ship, they were surprised by a celebration. Lotor had been carrying Pidge's shoes, and Pidge was attempting to fix his tie when they were suddenly being shouted at.

"Congratulations!" Pidge only recognized Lotor's three generals and the woman who had helped her get ready that morning. Nonetheless, she put a smile on her face.

"Ah, thank you all," Lotor said, straightening up. Pidge's hands fell away to her sides. "But could we maybe, er," he paused, figuring for the right word.

"Wait until tomorrow?" Ezor supplied, her face bright.

"Yes. Katherine and I are tired from the long day." Pidge nodded.

"Of course," Ezor smirked. "We already moved her things to your suite. Hope you don't mind."

Lotor's Adams Apple bobbed. "Of course. Thank you."

"Well," Axca coughed, "Have a nice night." Pidge's cheeks burned as they turned with identical grins and walked away. She could hear Zethrid giggling as they went around the corner.

When they were gone, Lotor looked down at her, his cheeks matching hers. "I'm sorry, I didn't ask them to do that. If you're not comfortable I can get your things put back immediately."

"No, it's okay. It's what married people do anyways," Pidge said, "And that sounds like something friends would do anyways."

"You may be right," Lotor's mouth curved into a smile. He offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

She took it, curling her fingers around the fabric of his tux. "We shall."

Lotor led her down a few hallways. "Now this may be a touchy or unpleasant conversation."

Pidge felt like she knew where this was going. "Go on."

"Sooner or later, we're going to have to produce an heir. If you're uncomfortable with this, then we can always do an implant. I'm afraid that we can't adopt, as the heir has to be of our blood."

"I understand, but I don't think I'm ready for that right now," Pidge said, looking away. She was sure that she would fall for him sometime, but this wasn't the right moment.

"And neither am I. I like you a lot, Katherine, but I'm not in love with you yet."

Pidge looked up at him sheepishly. "That's what I was just thinking too."

Lotor nodded, "Then I'm glad we're in agreement," A few moments later, he stopped. "We're here."

Opening the door, Lotor flicked the lights on. If Pidge's room was a large apartment, then Lotor's was a luxury bachelor home. Every piece of furniture was sleek and modern. Venturing further inside, Lotor led her to the bedroom. She noticed the trinket she gave him was sitting on his dresser. Lotor checked his closet.

"They've already packed all of your things away as well. Your dresses are in here," He sifted through them. "They're all very formal. Ah! Here's something, but it doesn't really look comfortable to sleep in. You don't have many clothes."

Pidge was pulling the flower crown from her hair as she answered, her curls refusing to let go. "Yeah, I don't own a lot of clothing because I only ever wore my armor at the castle. Allura gave me the dresses."

"Your armor is in here as well, and I kind of figured they were hers, because of the Altean style. I'll have someone buy you some more clothing once we get back to Galra. But that still doesn't explain why you don't have any sleepwear." Lotor noticed her dilemma and began untangling her hair from the flower stems.

Pidge winced when Lotor accidentally pulled her hair, and he murmured an apology. "That's because I don't really sleep a lot," She said.

Lotor finally freed the crown and set it on the table. "You should sleep more."

"I get that a lot," Pidge laughed, "But I work better with less sleep."

Lotor chuckled. "That is, until you faint in front of a crowd, but whatever you say. Anyways, we'll be landing on Galra in the morning, so we'll be expected to wave to the crowd and pose for a few pictures. Are you comfortable with that?"

"I'll have to get used to it sooner or later. I'll be fine," Pidge looked down at her dress. The bottom half was filthy, and she sighed. "This was such a beautiful dress. I feel bad for ruining it."

Lotor looked thoughtful. "On the contrary, I think it looks even more beautiful."

"Why?"

"It holds memories now."

Pidge bit her lip to hide a smile, but it didn't work. "You're right," Walking past him, Pidge pushed through her clothes until she came up on the tank top she'd usually have worn under her jacket and her old, worn shorts. She turned back around with the clothes in her arms. "Where's the bathroom?"

"A left out of this room, then another left at the end of the hallway."

"Thank you," With that, Pidge made her way down the hall and into the bathroom. Trying to take her dress off reminded her of just how hard it was to put it on in the first place. She got all the ribbons untied, but she just couldn't reach the zipper at her back. Cautiously, she opened the door.

"Lotor? I have a slight problem."

The Galran appeared in front of her just a moment later. "What is it?"

Pidge blushed. "I can't reach the zipper."

"I'll get it for you then," Pidge nodded and turned around, feeling the restrictive dress expand immediately.

"Thank you," She held the door. "I'll be back out in a few minutes."

Nodding, he didn't take his eyes off of her until he turned and went back the way he'd came. Pidge shivered and closed the door. Letting the dress fall to the floor, Pidge took a moment to study herself in the mirror. She liked her body a lot more than she had when she was younger- her friends had made her see value in herself, but she still felt that she fell short against Allura's beauty. Sighing and telling herself that it didn't matter, Pidge washed the makeup off of her face. Feeling refreshed, she dressed and tucked the soiled gown around her arm.

Poking her head around the bedroom doorway, she asked, "Where does the dirty laundry go?"

She noticed that Lotor had already changed into some silk, pale blue pajamas. The color flattered his already flawless complexion.

"There's a washer in the room directly across from the bathroom. Do you need me to help?"

"No, I think I've got it," She said, and found it easily enough. Seeing the washer and dryer, she assumed that he did his own laundry- her opinion of him only seemed to get better.

She asked him about it when she got back, tucking herself on the left side of the bed. Lotor was making his way back in the dark as he answered. "I do my own washing and cooking while on the ship. Our staff have other things to attend to than to baby me."

"That's very admirable," Pidge couldn't see Lotor in the dark, but she felt the bed shake and he cursed. She assumed that he slammed his foot on the bed and couldn't help but giggle.

"Of course you would find that funny," Lotor muttered. Pidge felt the mattress sink under his weight. "Anyways, you should get some rest. Tomorrow we're going to be planning the coronation."

Yawning, Pidge stretched and rolled onto her side, getting comfortable quickly. "Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight, Katherine."

Pidge fell asleep to the steady rhythm of Lotor's breathing.


	3. Chapter 3

Planning the coronation was tedious.

Pidge contemplated stacking food items on top of each other just to rid herself of boredom. All that was being discussed was little details that she couldn't care less about. Like color coordination.

"Katherine?" Pidge blinked, looking over at Lotor, whose eyebrows were raised.

She felt like she was missing something important. "Yes?" She blushed when the planner's smile twitched.

"Do you have any preference for your formal attire?"

"Not really?"

Lotor considered her for a moment and leaned forward. "What do you think is going to happen at the coronation?"

Pidge cocked her head, something her brother used to always tease her about. "You're going to become king."

"And then?"

"Then..," Pidge squinted. "we're going to help Balmera."

"Yes, but no. Because you're my wife," He put particular emphasis on this, "you are also going to be crowned. This is about you too."

Pidge bit her lip, feeling stupid. "I didn't think about that."

Lotor placed his hand over hers, and she noticed that it was warm. "That's okay. I should've explained."

"It's alright. I'll learn eventually."

"Yes, but I should have warned you in the first place. Anyways, are you ready to go on? I'm afraid that we've been testing Nanette's patience."

Nanette promptly assured them that they weren't and they continued, Pidge now involved more in the conversation. She didn't hesitate to apologize for taking up the planner's time, and Nanette blushed, saying once again that it was fine. Lotor seemed pleased.

Running through all of the details once final time, they finally ended the session, leaving butterflies in Pidge's stomach. Nanette had left a few minutes ago, but Pidge had no idea what to do in general, so she stayed put. She wasn't sure why Lotor was staying either- he probably had plenty of things to do.

His hand still lingered on the table where they had touched, though Pidge's were tucked away in her lap.

"Are you hungry?" He asked suddenly, multicolored eyes meeting hers.

Pidge blinked. "Yeah. Do you want to go to lunch?"

Lotor grinned. "I was just about to ask you that."

She let her smug smile overtake her features. "Looks like I beat you."

"I assure you it will not happen again."

Oh no. The butterflies were back, and she realized what she'd been doing- she was /flirting/. Honest to god.

"And I'm telling you that you can do nothing to stop me," It was like someone else was doing the talking for her, but she found that she liked the banter. It made her feel more.. like her old self.

"Well then, since you asked, do you know where you want to go?" He had her there. At her pause, Lotor laughed, his chest expanding fully. "That's what I thought. We'll be on Galra soon, anyway, so I'll show you my favorite restaurant."

Pidge bit her lip. "Sounds like a plan."

Lotor startled her again with an abrupt exclamation. "Oh! When we get done, we're going shopping."

"For what?"

"Your clothes. You need more casual wear, and we could start getting our coronation outfits ready."

"That sounds fine, but I don't really need any more clothes."

"Are you kidding?" Lotor sputtered. She didn't think she's ever heard him do that before, being Mr. Calm and Collected and all. "You barely have enough clothes to last three days, not including your formal dresses. You won't even have to wear those that often."

Sighing, Pidge acknowledged his point. "You got me there. But we're not going to spend a lot okay? Thrift stores only."

"As you say," Something buzzed then, and Lotor checked his device. "We're here. Time for lunch."

Pidge looked down at herself. She'd decided to wear her only pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt with Lance's jacket overtop. Tattered Vans that she'd had for god knows how long adorned her feet. "I should probably change."

Lotor shook his head. "You're completely perfect."

Pidge scrutinized him, but couldn't detect any sarcasm. Lotor himself always looked like the god of Abercrombie models.

"If you're sure, then lead the way."

In all the times she'd invaded the Galran ships, she'd never been to the actual planet personally before. She wasn't sure what she was expecting- high tech, well, everything? Desolate, underdeveloped buildings?

She definitely wasn't expecting it to be so similar to Earth that it pulled a few of her heartstrings.

Of course, it wasn't an exact replica. The people were purple, and the grass and plants were a mix of blue and green, but the layout was familiar. Skyscrapers raked against the bright blue sky, and Pidge smiled as children ran around the playground. They seemed to have landed in the city instead of nearby.

Lotor led her down the slightly cracked sidewalk, with no need of an escort. These were his people, he explained, and they supported him secretly even when his father ruled. They would never betray him.

Pidge wasn't so sure. She remembered just how many Galrans had escaped their jails that had been on Zarkon's side, but she distracted herself with the new scenery. This was a new time.

As they walked, Lotor told her about their culture and past. Apparently, they only became a violent race when Zarkon took control. Lotor was hoping to go back to the way things once were.

Without her noticing, they linked hands. She told herself it was so they didn't get separated. "I'm sure you'll be very successful."

Lotor squeezed her hand, and her lungs jumped. "Yes, we will," Then, "Ah, we're here," Pidge wasn't expecting to be pulled into a small corner sandwich shop.

"Lotor, my friend!" A voice immediately greeted them, and Lotor didn't let go of her hand as he embraced them with a one-armed hug. When they parted, Pidge saw a squat Galran man take a step back and push his glasses up his squashed nose. He peered over his spectacles at her. "Is this the girl I've seen with you all over the news?"

Lotor drew Pidge nearer to him, his smile wide. "Yes, this is my wife Katherine."

"Katherine," The man repeated. "What is she doing with you?"

"Barney, I told you that she's my wife," He laughed, and Pidge couldn't help but smile. She decided that she liked Barney already.

Barney stepped around Lotor and took her unoccupied hand in his, shaking it. "Katherine, I'm Barney. If you ever want to get out of that stuffy castle, you just come see me ya hear?"

Pidge giggled. "Will do. And you can call me Katie."

He squeezed her hand lightly before letting go. "I'm honored," Turning back to Lotor, he asked, "What can I get you both today? Anything you want on the house, friend, in celebration of your beautiful wife."

Pidge flushed, and Lotor looked down at her. "Just the usual for both of us please."

Barney made a point to look at her. "Is that okay with you Katie? Can't have Lotor making all the decisions."

Pidge laughed but nodded her head, and they went to sit down as Barney disappeared into the back.

"Barney is an old friend of mine," Lotor said as he pushed in her chair. "A bit like an uncle, really. He's owned this shop since I was small."

"I like him already," Pidge admitted, smiling.

Lotor let out a rather large breath, like the information had set him at ease. "I'm glad. I'm sure that when you're here, it'll always be on the house," He leaned forward with a boyish look on his face. "In all the years I've visited, I've only had to pay him once."

"Once?"

"Once," He nodded, "It was the time my father demanded to know where I'd been going all the time and followed me. I was eight. It's like he knew before everyone else did." This reminded Pidge of how house animals and babies could tell someone's character before they even did anything. She relayed this to Lotor, whose eyes crinkled around the corners. "He does look a bit like a baby, doesn't he?"

Pidge was about to agree when Barney returned, a basket in both hands. He winked good-naturedly at Pidge when he set hers down on the table.

"Be careful with all that charm," Lotor warned, "you may be charged with treason for stealing my wife away," The threat was ruined with Lotor's smile, one that seemed to sneak onto his face without him thinking about it.

Barney's laugh bellowed. "I couldn't think of a better way to go, Lotor. You both enjoy now."

Looking down at her food, Pidge noticed that it looked like any sandwich you could get from Subway. She picked it up and took a rather large bite, hoping Lotor wouldn't look at her before she could rub the juices off of her chin. Unfortunately, she's never been lucky. Lotor handed her a napkin, but then quickly used one for himself, as he spontaneously had the same problem.

"These sandwiches always hold a lot of fluids," She had a sneaking suspicion that he'd done that on purpose, but she said nothing.

"What's in this?" She asked once she'd swallowed her food.

"There's different types of fruits and a meat like a kind of bird from your planet."

When he said that, Pidge could finally distinguish the different flavors. There was something citrusy- not tasting, but she could feel the buzz on her tongue, and then the sweet taste of raspberries. She chewed on chunks of spiced meat. It wasn't long before she was finished.

"Your Galran food is so good," She said, watching him bite into his own sandwich. "I need to show you some food from Italy though. I think you'll like it."

Lotor smiled warmly. "I'm sure I'd love it," He leaned back in his chair. "I'm full if you want the rest?"

"You've barely eaten half of it," She pointed out, though the offer was tempting.

He shrugged. "I at a lot at breakfast."

A warm feeling took over her chest. "We didn't even eat breakfast."

"Then I'll eat more for dinner," He pushed the basket toward her. "Eat it. Please."

Biting her lip, Pidge took the basket. "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure," He smiled widely.

After she'd finished and was utterly full, they bid Barney goodbye and started meandering around the city. At first, they didn't really say much. Pidge was busy staring at the buildings in wonder and biting her lip at all the tech. It wasn't until she was Lotor was looking at her that she realized they'd been neglecting him.

"Sorry," Her cheeks were burning.

"It's perfectly alright," Lotor smiled encouragingly. "Your face is very expressive. It's entertaining."

"Yeah, whatever," She was secretly pleased.

They stopped at a stand, and Lotor handed her what looked like an ice cream cone, except it was a bright crimson red. Licking it, she decided that it tasted like the syrup part of the canned cherries that her mother used for pies. Lotor's own was pink.

"What does it taste like?" She asked.

"Like melon."

Pidge wrinkled her nose. "Honeydew melon or watermelon?"

Lotor shook his head. "I'm not going to pretend like I know the flavors of your Earth fruits."

"Well, honeydew melon is disgusting. Watermelon is good."

Lotor's mouth pulled up in an amused smile. "I feel like those aren't flavors."

Pidge shrugged. "Just my opinion."

They wandered around more as they finished their ice cream. On a few occasions, someone would congratulate them and meld back into the crowd. They would look at Pidge brightly as they said this, and she would always smile and thank them. When they finally finished their sweet treats, Lotor led her to the shop where they were getting their coronation outfits fitted.

It reminded Pidge of this dress shop back in Italy that she used to look at. As a small child, Pidge used to sit in front of the windows and stare at the enchanting fabrics on the motionless mannequins. It had been a few days of this before the shopkeeper came out. The old woman Margaret, had a kind face and let Pidge touch her most beautiful dresses. She later showed her how to make them- but she hasn't been able to do that since the war started.

"Welcome! You both are right on time!" The Galran woman pulled Pidge out of her thoughts, and for the next few hours, Pidge's mind was full of measuring tape and a rainbow of color. When they left, Lotor's stomach said it was time for dinner (Pidge was still full from lunch), so they stopped at a small outdoor vendor.

Insisting that she didn't want anything, Lotor finally relented and ordered food for himself, but not before getting her a drink. They sat at a picnic table. Pidge looked at the sun in the sky, but she didn't know how time worked on this planet.

"How long does your day last on Galra?"

"We have thirty vargas in a day, but the sun stays for eighteen vargas," Glancing at the sky, Lotor said, "It's probably about the sixteenth hour right now. The period starts over on next daybreak."

"That's cool. I'll have to study up more on that."

"Or you could just ask me, y'know, the walking Galra Encyclopedia," Lotor deadpanned, causing Pidge to giggle.

"You're right," The corners of Lotor's eyes crinkled in amusement, and Pidge couldn't help but think that this made him almost unbearably attractive. Her heart jumped at the realization. "Well then, my walking encyclopedia, how do you know when daybreak is?"

"A red flash will bring the sun back at the beginning of the next day. It lasts for about three minutes, and our clocks reset right after it disappears."

"What hours are usually sleeping hours?"

"It's typically between the twenty-first through the second hour of the next day. Light begins at hour one, so the first two daylight hours are usually used for waking up fully and getting ready for the day."

"Earth has twenty-four hour days, and twelve of them are dark."

"We only have eleven dark hours. The twentieth hour is used to get ready for sleep. Us Galran's believe in getting a lot of rest for our twenty hour days."

Pidge nodded. "That's understandable. On Earth, a healthy amount of sleep is eight hours a day."

"And how many do you get, Katherine?" Lotor raised an eyebrow.

She had the decency to blush. "I get eight hours... every three or four days."

Lotor spit out a bit of his drink, his eyes widening. "Are you serious? I'm surprised you're not deteriorating. You need a lot more sleep than that."

"I've gotten a lot of sleep this week, thank you," Pidge said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Good then. Since our days are so long, I hope it stays that way. You'll probably have to take naps to keep up though."

Pidge shook her head. "It'll only take me a couple of days to get used to how long the days are. I already stay up like this anyways."

Lotor only shrugged. "Whatever you think. But we should get your casual clothing now."

"Sounds good."

Lotor threw his plastic into the nearest trashcan. "Galran's have a different taste when it comes to fashion, but I'm sure that you can find something you like."

"I'm not picky," Pidge said, shrugging.

Lotor pointed at an upcoming store. "Let's go in here then."

Once inside, Pidge's jaw dropped. "I thought I said thrift store?"

"About that," Lotor grinned, "we can't. What would people think if we shopped at one of those?" Pidge looked at him in disbelief. "Alright, I'm just joking. But I wanted to treat my wife, is that a crime?"

A blush rose to her cheeks, "I guess not. But nothing too expensive, okay?"

"That's fine. Now look around and find some stuff you like. I'll push the cart."

It all felt very domestic- Lotor following her around the store as she looked at different things. Pidge found that she actually liked the Galran style. She liked the bright colors and the loose, flowing fabric. It reminded her of her mother's sundress, the one she only wore in the summers. It's been years since Pidge got to browse for clothes, or even choose something that actually fit. She picked up some pants, shorts, and, to her astonishment, a few casual dresses that she liked. She remembered that she liked dresses when she was younger. She bit her lip when she noticed she was missing a key item after putting underwear into the cart.

"Where are the bras?" She asked, feeling bashful. She knew that it wasn't anything to be embarrassed about- it was just clothes, but she couldn't help but harp on the fact that was talking to freaking Lotor.

"Oh, Galran's don't typically wear those. The women thought it unequal, so now it's completely optional. Stores usually keep some in the back now," Lotor didn't mention her obvious embarrassment, but offered, "We can order them to be brought to the castle if you'd like."

Pidge quickly shook her head. "It's fine, we can just get them here."

Nodding, Lotor spoke to a passing store employee, and the woman glanced at Pidge for a moment before disappearing.

"I'm sorry this is embarrassing for you?"

"I'm not that embarrassed really- I'm just used to shopping for this stuff with my mom," This reminded her of some other things that she needed, and she made a mental note to ask Lotor if Galrans had periods.

A moment later, the woman returned. "I got the size I thought would fit you best," She then pointed to the fitting room. Pidge knew enough about the Galran language and number system to know the cheaper brands.

"Are you picking those because they're more comfortable, or because they're cheaper?" Lotor could see right through her. She ended up taking the more comfortable ones, even though they were slightly more expensive.

They were also really pretty, though Pidge would never say that out loud.

Lotor stood near the fitting room as she tried on the bras, but she tried not to think about it. Surprisingly, they all fit her perfectly, but even after she changed back she took a moment to compose herself. The trip was reminding her too much of when she would tail her parents on shopping trips. Her dad would push the cart and smile at her mom whenever they made eye contact. At the checkout, he always slipped one of her favorite candy bars onto the conveyor belt.

Pidge hadn't called her mother since the war started. Guilt settled through her as she thought about it- She'd left for the Garrison with the promise of bringing her father and brother back, and now only Matt would return.

What time was it on Earth anyway?

Lotor could immediately see something was up when Pidge returned. "What's wrong? Do they not fit? I could-"

"They fit just fine," Pidge smiled gently, "I was just thinking about my mom."

"Oh, I see. Do you miss her?" Lotor asked, politely taking her bras and putting them in the cart. He then started walking to the shoe section.

Pidge nodded. "I haven't talked to her since I left for the Garrison. It's been about five years."

Lotor was quiet for a moment, then said, "You have the freedom to do whatever you wish, Katherine."

Her eyes widened. "You mean I could go visit?"

"Well of course," Lotor's brows knitted together. "Why would I keep you from your family? I've already had your father sent back to Earth."

"Are you serious? Why didn't you tell me before?"

"It was while our wedding preparations were going on, and I kind of just... forgot to mention it?"

Pidge wasn't even mad- She laughed, and before she knew it, she was hugging Lotor, her face pressed into his shirt. "Thank you so much!" Pulling back, she blushed, "Would you like to come with me?"

She thought she saw him visibly whiten, but he was calm when he spoke, "Do you want me to?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to," She giggled.

"Then of course," Lotor smiled, but it was warm now, and his complexion was back. "We can go after the coronation if you'd like?"

"Yes!" She almost shouted, but quieted when she remembered where they were.

In the shoe department, Lotor insisted she had casual flats, boots, sneakers, and some gardening sandals ("So it's easier to clean the dirt off"). When they paid for everything, the cashier gave them a 'congratulatory discount', but the sum still made Pidge uncomfortable.

Lotor insisted on carrying most of the bags on the way back to the castle, Pidge only managing to snag three. She kept telling him that she was more than able to carry more, but he wouldn't budge so she let it go. When they got back, Lotor helped her unpack her new clothes before disappearing to attend to a few things.

At the bottom of the last bag, Pidge found a candy bar next to a note:

/Because you were sad today/

Her heart beat so fiercely that it melted in her chest. Smiling, she ate the chocolate as she dressed to go to bed, in her new night clothes of course. She was determined to show Lotor that she had no problems adjusting to the Galran way of life. Of course, she'd have to make herself go to sleep first.

Picking up a book, she got into bed and began reading. From what the clock said, it was nearing the twentieth hour, but she had enough time to finish one chapter, right?

Wrong. By the time Lotor got back, she was halfway through the book and the time said it was the twenty-fifth hour. She didn't even notice him come in until he spoke.

"You're still up?" He looked at her strangely, taking a drink out of a water bottle.

Pidge thumbed her place on the page, "I couldn't stop reading, but you can't really say anything. You're up too."

He laughed, "You've got me there. What are you reading?" He went into the closet then, and she could hear rummaging.

"It's called 'The Sky Is Everywhere'," She called out, "It's about a girl coping with her sister's death. She kisses her sister's boyfriend, which is a little fucked up, but I can see where it's coming from."

Lotor came out, now dressed in his pajamas. "That's a different approach."

Pidge laughed. "You're telling me. It's a really good book though."

"I don't doubt it if it's kept you up this long. Are you feeling tired at all?" Pidge was about to say no, she wasn't, but she could see the bags under his eyes.

"Actually, yeah. I should probably sleep if I want to stay up for the next twenty hours."

"Sounds good to me," Lotor once again switched the light off, but immediately turned it back on since Pidge didn't look at her page number. Checking and giving him the good-to-go, they both settled in for what was left of the night.

xx

Lotor woke her specifically before the thirtieth hour so she could see the Flash. It was beautiful- not just red, but crimson and maroon and peach. Pidge never took her eyes off of it, but then it was gone. It hardly seemed like three minutes.

Lotor was looking at her expectantly, a wide smile on his face. "What did you think?"

"It was amazing," Pidge said honestly, her eyes wide in wonder. "Easily one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

"I'm glad you like it."

Pidge shook her head. "I don't just like it- I wasn't to watch every one of them for the rest of my life."

"Do you really mean that?" Lotor asked, and Pidge was surprised by the timid ring of his voice.

"Well yeah."

"Do you mind if I keep you company?"

She made sure to keep eye contact, so he would /know/ she wasn't lying. "Nothing would make me happier."

xx

There was a lot of preparation that went into a coronation.

They had the event itself, and then the after 'party' (Banquet, Lotor said, but Pidge thought that name sounded boring). There were questions about food, flowers, clothing, who was attending and where they would sit. There was the practice with walking, posing, protocol for everything, keeping up with the traditions, bowing, smiling. Pidge's feet weren't the only things hurting- It was like her wedding all over again, but much, /much/ bigger.

Lotor, of course, was fine, not a hair out of place. Pidge envied him as she paraded around in the dress she was supposed to wear- It fit tight around her torso and fell in loose ripples from her waist down. It was so long that she kept tripping over it in her heels (She wasn't allowed to wear flats this time, because 'Queens never wear flats').

She was very close to regretting her decision. She felt like she was in Princess Diaries, except hyped up on acid. With aliens.

"You're doing great Katherine!" Lotor called out, flashing her a thumbs up. He'd been doing that ever since she showed it to him, but she didn't find it quite that endearing this time.

"Yeah, have fun drinking your tea while I die," To make a point (though not on purpose) she tripped again.

"Amazing!" Pidge grumbled as she got to her feet. She was determined to not look like a fool at their coronation, especially because it would reflect back on Lotor. She would walk in heels for the rest of the time before the coronation- which was in three days.

She'd gotten the smile down, the sway, the look, the poise- she just couldn't walk without tripping yet. She was going to blow her friends away with her grace.

There was also the tradition of getting something for your spouse during the event. She hadn't figured out what to give Lotor yet. She knew he liked books, the color orange, lots of different kinds of foods. He liked animals and flowers, but what kind of gift is she supposed to give a newly crowned king?

Plagued by curiosity, she'd asked Lotor what he got her. he'd just given her a mischievous smile and said it was a surprise. When they got married, Lotor had given her two cards- one for her identification and the other for money. She never planned to use it- she already had everything she needed. She vowed only to use it to get Lotor a gift.

She stumbled again. /Fuck it, she thought, /if I have to garden in these shoes, I will/. But first, she had to get out of her godforsaken dress.

"I'm done for now," She said to Nanette, who was overseeing her training.

"Right, ma'am. You've done really well. Let's get you out of that dress." When the dress was off and replaced by Lance's familiar jacket, Pidge breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she put the heels back on and went to the garden.

The garden was nothing like she'd envisioned. Lotor's description made her think that the garden was a desolate wasteland, but it was just as beautiful as the Flash had been. Walking around, she stared in wonder at the beautiful Galra native flowers. She thought briefly of taking some for her mother but discarded it immediately. They wouldn't last the trip, and even if they did, Pidge didn't think she could bear picking any one of them.

Lotor snapped her out of her reverie, like he always did, "You've been here for hours."

She looked over at him, thinking. "Have I really? It feels like it's only been a half hour at most."

He revealed a bucket full of tools. "Are you ready to get stuff done?"

Pidge laughed. "I can't imagine that there's much to do. It's stunning."

"Galran plants are really finicky sometimes though. They require affection, like puppies."

"That's perfectly fine with me," Pidge and Lotor started walking then, speaking to the plants. Pidge enjoyed this immensely and even got to plant a seed near the center of the garden. She made sure to encourage it to grow it's very best before they left to go back inside the castle.

"You haven't tripped once," Lotor said as they walked, and her eyes widened when she realized he was right.

"I'm just feeling really relaxed is all," But really, she was pleased. Now she was ready.

xx

It was the day of the coronation. Pidge was getting the last touches of her hair and makeup done- and she had to admit that she looked nice. Her makeup was natural, but enhanced her cheekbones and made her golden eyes pop. Her hair had been curled and pulled up in an elaborate bun, but leaving a few curls to frame her face. She was no longer afraid of walking in heels- she was even confident. As she got up from her chair, she briefly wondered if Lotor would compliment her.

They were in a grand Galran church, the ceiling arching high above her head. As she walked down the hall towards the area where the ceremony was taking place, she couldn't help but admire her reflection in any reflective surface. Going around the corner, she saw Lotor standing in front of the giant doors and hurried to stand beside him.

"You look lovely," He said, and she smiled, warmth blooming in her chest.

"You're one to talk. I'm surprised the walls haven't caved to your charms." She smiled as he beamed, a wide grin on his face.

"I'm glad you think so," She was about to tell him that she always thought so when Nanette appeared, looking frazzled.

"It's time, your Majesties."

Lotor held out his hand, looking over at her. "Ready?"

Without hesitation, she took his hand, and he gave her a gentle squeeze. "Ready."

Together, they entered the sanctuary. Like at their wedding, everyone in the assembly got to their feet and watched them walk down the aisle. Pidge keeps a smile on her face, but soon realized that it wasn't fake at all- She was excited about what the future had in store for her and Lotor. Searching the crowd of unfamiliar faces, she finally spotted her friends. Her brother was at home on Earth, of course. She was happy that he was home, but couldn't help but feel disappointed. She hadn't talked to him since her wedding. They got to the end of the aisle and stood before the High Priest. He looked down at them, a kind twinkle in his eye.

"Today, we are here to crown our new king and queen," Cheers rang around them, and Pidge looked up at Lotor, biting her lip. He squeezed her hand again before returning his attention to the task at hand. "They promise to restore peace to the planet and to the galaxies surrounding us," Pidge hoped her hand wasn't sweating too much. "Now, please, if they would kneel."

Both Pidge and Lotor got to their knees, bowing before the High Priest. Two boys stood beside the man, holding pillows with crowns on top. "Lotor, do you swear to protect this planet? Do you vow to keep its best interests at heart, and only act to make Galra flourish?"

"I do," Lotor said, and Pidge though she heard his voice waver. Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, he looked a little pale. She tapped his hand with her index finger, just to remind him that she was there, and he gave her a small smile. Then, the High Priest placed the crown on Lotor's head.

"If you would stand-"

"Actually," Lotor interrupted, and Pidge heard a few gasps litter the room. "I'd like to stay kneeling until my wife gets to her feet first, if you wouldn't mind," A hush fell over them, but the High Priest took it in stride.

"Of course. Katherine," He went on with the same spiel that he said to Lotor, and she nodded.

"I do," the High Priest placed the other crown on her head then, the cool metal kissing the top of her head. Lotor helped her up while he still knelt on the floor, staying before her for a few moments. She wasn't sure what to do, but soon, he got to his feet as well.

"Katherine," Lotor said, breathing deeply, "I almost couldn't decide on what to get you," The room was so silent, Pidge thought she could hear a pin drop. "What could I give that was even remotely good enough? It took me a while, but I finally got it," His hand dived into his pocket, and then his palm lied flat in the air in front of her, holding a small black box. Moving his thumb, he flicked a switch and a hologram appeared above it. "It's that planet we landed on a couple of weeks ago. It's yours, Katherine. I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of naming it after you- Katie," He lowered his voice, "Do you like it?"

Pidge was in shock. "You got me a planet?" She whispered, aware that her jaw was hanging wide open.

Lotor was looking nervous now, fidgeting slightly. "Do you like it?" He repeated, and this snapped her out of her daze.

"Of course! Of course I do, Lotor, it's just- a lot, you know? And now, what I got you- now I feel like I didn't give you enough," All of this was said so low that none of the audience could hear.

Lotor shook his head quickly. "Whatever it is, I guarantee that I already love it, I promise."

Cheeks darkening, Pidge turned around and grabbed a package from one of the crown bearers. She didn't say anything as Lotor opened it. He pulled the first piece of orange fabric from the bag.

"It's pajamas," Pidge said quickly before he could. "I made them myself, but I should've gotten you something better-"

Lotor hugged her to him, smothering her words. He kissed the top of her head lightly before pulling back, looking deep into her eyes, which widened when she saw how serious he was.

"This is the best gift I've ever been given, excluding your hand in marriage, of course. I'm honored that you took the time to make this for me," He smiled brightly, "I'll cherish it forever."

They turned toward the crowd then, heads held high, eyes shining with happiness.

"I now give you King Lotor and Queen Katherine!"

Pidge couldn't wipe the smile off of her face even if she wanted to.

Giving their gifts to Nanette, who promised to take them back to the castle, Pidge and Lotor began mingling and thanking the guests for coming. Pidge breathed a sigh of relief when they finally got to her friends. Allura squealed in delight and hugged Pidge tightly.

"You look absolutely stunning, Pidge! Like a real queen. Your crown is absolutely gorgeous."

Pidge touched it absentmindedly. "I didn't really get a good look at it."

"I had them modeled after our wedding crowns. The flower ones," Lotor said, and when she looked at him closely, she could see the silver flowers- so beautifully made that it was as if the flowers had been dipped in silver themselves.

"They're beautiful," She said, and he beamed. She wished she could take her crown off now and admire it, but she refrained. There would be time later.

"It's wonderful that you think so," Their gazes were stuck together for a few moments more before she had to tear her gaze back to Allura, whose grin was even wider if that was possible.

The other paladins formed a semicircle in front of them. "I thought you guys were back on Earth?" She said as she took turns hugging them all.

"We did up until yesterday," Lance laughed, "but once we heard the announcement, we decided to haul ass back here."

"And Matt?"

"Right here," A familiar voice said, and she whipped around, a wide smile overtaking her face. She flung herself at him. "Jeez, sis, it's only been two weeks."

"I've missed you," She mumbled- and she had. It had taken her years to find him, and she'd just gotten him back.

"Well, if you're excited to see me.." He took her by the shoulders and stepped aside. Tears were already falling down her face- She couldn't even form words as she was enveloped in the arms of her mother and father. In no time at all, she was bawling like a newborn. In the back of her mind, she could hear Nanette telling her that queens were always calm and composed, but she couldn't help it now. Her legs were wobbling as she finally stepped back.

"When did you guys get here?" She was holding a hand of each parent, and could feel the tears going down her face. She distantly wondered if her grip was hurting either of them.

"When Matt told us what was happening, we hopped on your friend's ship and headed here with them," Her mother said, matching tears in her eyes. "We figured we would sit near the back so you wouldn't bust a nerve."

Pidge laughed, hiccupping. "That's probably a good thing," She bit her lip, "I'm sorry I haven't called," Her mother covered Pidge's hand with her free one.

"Don't worry about it, dear. You were busy saving the galaxy. We understand."

"We're so proud of you Katie," Her father drew her attention now.

"I'm sorry I didn't find you soon enough," She was crying again, and felt an arm smooth down her back, soothing her. She looked up at Lotor, offering a wet smile.

"I'm here now," Her dad said, "and that's all that matters. I'm so proud of you- My little girl, Queen of the Galrans!"

Pidge blushed, abashed, and they decided then to move to the after event, Pidge changing into a more comfortable, but still stylish, dress. The after event was to rub elbows with the wealthy, but they obviously knew who Pidge's parents were, and let them have their peace, and for that she was grateful. They sat at a table in the middle of the room. Lotor was on her left, her parents to her right. It vaguely reminded her of the famous painting- the Last Supper?

After the initial toast, she listened to her mother gush. "My daughter's a queen!" Then, lower, "And married to such a handsome man, too. Don't you agree honey?" Her mother turned as she addressed her father, and Pidge took the moment to look up at Lotor. The slight upturn of his lips told her that he'd heard.

"You look stunning, Katie," Her father leaned forward to look at her. "I don't think I've ever seen you look more beautiful, except maybe when you were seven and sitting in the middle of my Jungle Of Machines. It took weeks to get all the grease off you."

"I think we have a picture somewhere," Her mother said, tapping her chin.

"I'd like to see her baby pictures," Lotor chimed in, and Pidge's cheeks darkened.

"You don't really-"

"Well, the albums are pack up in the attic right now, but I'm sure we can bring them down-" Pidge went to protest again, but realized that it was futile. Lance was snickering, and she wished that it was proper to flip someone off.

As Pidge's mother prattled on about the albums and the house, Pidge wished things were different. Not that she didn't want to be with Lotor, but she wished that he had had better parents so that she could make her in-laws proud. Maybe they would have a nice home and go for dinner once a month. She wished Lotor wouldn't have a sad gleam in his eyes while she interacted with her parents. She put her hand on his and squeezed lightly, and he flipped his hand over, interlacing their fingers. She was surprised when she realized his fingers were shaking slightly.

He ate with his left hand for the rest of dinner, not saying anything unless addressed directly. Pidge was content to just listen to the conversations as well, and noticed the looks her friends gave her and Lotor's intertwined hands- hands that rested on the table. When the event officially ended, they went back to the castle. After showing everyone to their respective rooms, Pidge and Lotor went to their own. Pidge sighed happily when she removed her shoes.

"That's a lot better," She said to herself and grabbed some night clothes to change into. After putting her dirty laundry into the basket, she returned to their room to find Lotor already dressed- in the pajamas she made, no less. "Do they fit okay?" She asked.

Lotor raised his arm, exposing just a sliver of midriff. Pidge did her best not to look. "They fit perfectly. How did you know my measurements?"

She leaned against the door frame. "I messaged the tailor."

"Smart."

"That's what I'm known for," She pointed out, crossing the room and getting into bed. Lotor followed her but didn't turn off the light. "So, a planet, huh?"

"I hope it's not over the top," Lotor scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm not going to lie- it's a lot. What are we supposed to do with it?"

"I have an idea, actually," Lotor said, and Pidge nodded for him to continue. "I was thinking we could build a nice house on it- there's a lake on one side. We could use it for vacation, and then later, when we retire, we could stay on that planet."

Pidge took a deep breath. "That sounds wonderful," She could almost feel the foliage tickling her cheek.

"We could use it for parties as well, but only for family and friends. For birthdays and get-togethers, or just for fun."

She felt the urge to kiss him.

As soon as she identified it, she buried to urge and asked him a different question. "Are we staying there tomorrow?

Lotor shook his head. "Construction isn't finished, so we'll be going to Earth. We'll be staying in your Italy, actually."

Pidge's heart leapt- it had been years since she'd last seen her home. "I can't wait."

"Me either," Lotor admitted, "Also, watch this!" He clapped his hands together twice, "Now my toes won't be injured every night."

"That's always good," She yawned. "Goodnight."

She didn't hear him as she fell asleep.

xx

The next morning, they had breakfast in the huge dining hall. Pidge was thankful for her new casual clothes- she wasn't sure she could take wearing dresses all the time. She was still wearing Lance's jacket, even though she'd tried again to give it back.

"No," He held up his hands, "It's yours now," and that was that.

Halfway through breakfast, Allura asked Pidge for a moment together- for a tour of the gardens. Pidge promised they'd be back within the hour and left. She knew a basic way around now, so she had no trouble leading the princess to the garden. Once they were outside, Allura spoke.

"So I noticed that you and Lotor look cozy."

Pidge looked over at her. "What do you mean?"

"You can barely stop looking at each other. Or, at least, Lotor can't keep his eyes off of you."

Pidge blushed, taking special interest in a flower. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Your face is red," Allura laughed, "so obviously you do! Let's sit on this bench a moment please?" Pidge reluctantly joined her. "So I know we've never really spent much time together, Pidge, but I wanted you to know that I view you as a younger sister. I want you to know that you can tell me anything, especially girl stuff you can't talk to your brother about."

"Like Lotor?" She asked wryly.

"Exactly!" Allura squealed. "Speaking of Lotor, how have you both been these past few weeks?"

"It's been pretty friendly, I suppose."

"But you've been holding hands."

"Well yeah, but friends can hold hands too," Pidge said defensively, knowing where the princess was going.

"So do you like him?

"Yeah?" Pidge's face was burning.

"But in which way?" Allura asked, leaning forward.

"It's only been three weeks Allura, so we're just friends," The princess' face fell. "But I do think he's pretty," at this, Allura broke out in a grin. Pidge hid her face behind her hands.

"Tell me everything," Allura said, and Pidge did. She didn't realize until that moment just how much she needed to get these things off her chest. She told her about the big things, the little things. She told her about the chocolate and the plans for the planet.

"And I'm really just- happy. I don't know. He's nice," She felt like she wasn't conveying how she felt in the right words, but Allura's face told her that she understood.

"I have something to tell you too- we haven't even told the other paladins yet," Pidge nodded. "Shiro and I have gotten close. He asked me to marry him."

A feminine squeal came out of Pidge, surprising both of them. "When? How? Did you say yes?"

Allura arranged herself more comfortably on the bench. "H actually asked me before we thought Lotor was going to propose, the week right after the war ended. We were training out behind the castle, and he confessed and asked me to marry him. I said yes, but obviously, we had to keep it a secret."

"What happened then?"

"I knew my duty was to the galaxy first, so I broke it off the day after the initial announcement. Then, when Lotor said your name instead of mine, I'm sorry to say that I was initially relieved," Her blue eyes started watering. "That's what made me feel so bad after."

"Oh Allura," Pidge hugged the Altean to her, "Don't beat yourself up. I'm glad you felt okay at first, that was the point. I was afraid you'd be mad. The reason I offered myself was that I wanted you to be happy after the war."

"I just want you to know if you're really, truly okay. Pidge," Allura's voice dropped, "we would gladly go to war to bring you back."

Pidge's eyes widened, "I'm perfectly alright, Allura, I promise. I'm getting used to it already and I like Lotor's company. There isn't any need for that."

The princess nodded. "I just have one more thing to ask."

"What is it?"

She took a deep breath. "Will you be my maid of honor?"

Pidge beamed, "Of course."

When they got back to the breakfast table, Allura winked at her one final time as she went to join the paladins. Pidge automatically went to Lotor, her mouth still stretched big.

"What is it?" He asked, but she shook her head, fighting to keep her face under control.

"I'll tell you later."

Lotor took her hand absently. "We'll be leaving for Earth in about an hour. Would you like to go pack?" Nodding, Pidge waved to her friends and family as they disappeared down the hall.

"Have you packed yet?" She asked. Her hand tingled where their skin touched, sending shivers up her spine.

He nodded, hair swaying- it mesmerized her for a moment. "Yes, but I didn't know what you wanted to be done with yours, so I left it alone."

"Thank you," They reached their room then, and Lotor let go of her hand to grab a duffle out of the closet. Thanking him again, she took his place and started packing. "How long are we going to be staying?"

"I was thinking a 'week', as you Earthlings say," Pidge beamed at him, giving him a thumbs up. "I'm excited to see where you came from."

Pidge paused for a moment. "What about where you came from? Will you show me what you did as a kid?" It was quiet, and Pidge could feel her heart beating in her chest.

"Honestly," He started, and her breath quickened. "I would tell you anything you wanted to know, Katherine."

"You don't have to," She said, and resumed packing like she hadn't stopped.

"I want to," His voice was quiet. "I don't want to keep anything from you." The air was thick with tension. "Ask whatever you want."

 _Does he think I'm pretty?_

The thought was automatic, but she didn't dare ask it. "Just tell me about when you were little. If anything reminds you of your childhood, tell me that too."

"Katherine," His voice was directly behind her now, making her jump slightly. She hadn't heard him walk up. "Do you only want to know of my past?"

She didn't turn around. "No. I want you to tell me everything," Why was she saying his? Why was it so hard to breathe? She was so caught up in the moment that she didn't even think about what she was saying.

"Katherine-"

"Call me Katie," Suddenly, she was turned around, looking up at him. She swallowed when she noticed just how close she was, and his eyes were searching her face.

"Katie," He sighed her name, and his hand came up to cup her face. His lithe fingers were shaking, but the light touch made her shiver.

"Hey are you guys ready-" The sudden voice broke them out of the moment and they leapt apart, Pidge falling into the closet and knocking her head into the wall. Lotor tripped on the duffel and promptly fell to the floor. "Oh my god- I'm so sorry. I should have knocked," Pidge recognized now that the voice belonged to Hunk, who was darting through the door and back out to the hallway.

Pidge blinked, trying to process what had just happened. She peeked out the closet opening to see Lotor get to his feet, a definite blush dusting across his cheekbones.

"I'll- uh, I'll leave you to it then," He stammered and hurried out the door. Pidge can't think of a time she'd ever seen him flustered. Smiling slightly to herself, she finished packing her clothes.


	4. Chapter 4

They decided to take a larger ship to Italy- Her mother had invited the paladins to stay as well, so it was going to be a full house. Pidge asked about their own families, but they assured her that it was okay- They were only staying for a few days. She didn't tell them (she would never) but she was secretly glad that they'd be leaving early. She wanted some time to be just with her family and Lotor.

Lotor took her bag and helped her onto the ship, blushing whenever they made eye contact. Even then, he stayed by her as they took their seats, holding onto her hand. Her mother sat directly in front of her, a blinding smile on her aging face. Her mother wasn't old- only in her forties- but her hair was already filled with gray. Pidge wondered briefly if it was her fault.

"So, dear," She said, leaning forward, "I was thinking about sleeping arrangements, and since the house if big enough, there are options. You can either all sleep outside with the tent, or on top of the trampoline. Or you and Lotor can take your room, and some can stay in you brother's and the guest room."

"What's the weather like?"

"Well, it's May, so it's spring, dear. It should be fine to stay outside."

Pidge looked over at her friends. Lance was wiggling his eyebrows at her. She ignored him. "What do you guys want to do?"

"I'd love to stay outside and see the stars," Allura said, a twinkle in her eye. When it was agreed that they would camp, the matter dropped.

It didn't take long to get to Earth- The galaxies were neighbors in the quadrant, so they didn't even have to use warp speed. It took a couple of hours before the familiar solar system was in sight.

"What are your planets called?" Lotor asked her, eyeing the bright spheres.

Pidge explained that they're named after Roman Goddesses, and that they live on the one the third from the system's sun. As she prattled on, she suddenly thought of something. "How are we going to land without everyone seeing us? They don't know anything about the war- except the Garrison, of course."

"When we first landed, they blamed it on military practice. We disguised the ship as a pilot plane," Shiro said, "We'll be landing the field next to your house, Pidge, but we're going to use a cloaking device- like your lion, actually."

"That's awesome!" Pidge's eyes lit up, and she had the sudden urge to go and fiddle with it- but they were almost home, and she told herself that she could look at it later. Pidge bit her lip as they entered Earth's atmosphere.

"This is a lot more rough that Galra," Lotor commented, his hands tightening on the belts that secured him.

"That's because the gravitational pull is a lot stronger here," Pidge said, and then suddenly it was clear.

"Cloaking on," Shiro said, and everyone slumped in relief. Pidge stared out the window, not taking her eyes off the green land below them. It had been /years/- but Earth was still as beautiful as she remembered.

"Pidge, are you /crying?/"

"Lance, don't act like you didn't bawl like a baby when you first got back," Pidge furiously wiper her tears away while her mother cooed, her father fiddling with his belts to maybe come over and comfort her, but Lotor beat him to it, and he settled back down into his seat. Lotor's arm was across her shoulders, rubbing soothing circles into her arm.

"Don't worry, Pidge. We all cried," Shiro called back.

Lotor smiled at her in the corner of her eye. She slid over the bench seat closer to him, and his eyes widened as she snuggled into his side.

"Is this okay?" She asked quietly, and his hand settled gently on the top of her hip.

"Of course it is," He whispered. With her head on his chest, she could hear his heartbeat. She ignored the stare of her friends and instead kept her focus on Earth.

By the time they got to Italy, it was then end of the day. Pidge watched familiar places go by until at last, they were setting down in the field behind the farmhouse. They took a few minutes to gather their things- Lotor took Pidge's bag, of course. Her heart was thumping in her chest as they let down the stairs and opened the door.

Immediately, the scents filled her nose, more tears fell down her face. She raced past Shiro and dove into the grass, shoving her face into it. /God, she missed this.

"Uh, Pidge?" Allura said, a rising question in her voice.

"Don't worry about it, dear," She heard her mother say, "She does things differently than everyone else."

"Come inside when you're ready Katie," Her father toed her side with his shoe before walking over her. She rolled over when she couldn't hear any more footfalls. Lotor was sitting beside her, bags in his lap.

"Why didn't you go inside?" She asked, sitting up. She longed to take off her shoes, but she didn't feel like taking a shower later.

"I figured I would protect you from a bear attack," He said simply, and Pidge couldn't help but laugh.

"We don't have many bears around here."

Lotor only shrugged, "It's actually because I want to make sure that you're okay."

Pidge figured her face was a blotchy red at this moment. She wiped her cheeks. "I'm perfectly fine. I just haven't been home in a really long time. Five years, actually," She was quiet for a moment, her hand in the dirt. "I didn't think I would ever see it again."

"I'm glad you did," And then, quieter, "And I'm glad you let me be with you for it."

Pidge smiled and took a deep breath. "I'm glad you're here too," She glanced at the house. "We'd better get everything settled though. The blankets need to be put out before dark."

Lotor helped Pidge to her feet and she managed to snag a bag, putting the strap across her shoulders. She tossed Lotor a smug smile and led him to the house. Memories sprung to mind as she entered, but she managed to keep the tears at bay. Her mother instructed her to put their things in her room before finding all the blankets and pillows they could. Going up the stairs, Pidge hesitated only a moment before opening her door. It was clean, not a single speck of dust. She imagined her mom dusting, awaiting the day her family would finally come home. She set the bag she had by the closet, moving it enough to let Lotor in.

"This is my room," She said, "I don't remember it being so clean though," Lotor chuckled.

"You have a lot of science books."

"Well yeah," Pidge shrugged, "They're interesting, and I wanted to be like Matt," She didn't mention the other kids, though they momentarily flitted through her mind.

They stood in silence as they looked around her room, one in remembrance and the other in curiosity.

"Blankets," Lotor said suddenly, and Pidge blinked.

"You're right," She grabbed the duvet off her bed, ruining what had been snugly fitted. Lotor grabbed the pillows and went down the stairs.

"What are we sleeping on?" He asked.

"It's called a trampoline. Kids play on it- you jump and it stretches, and it'll make you go higher. We can try it tomorrow if you want."

"I would like to," He said simply, keeping his gaze on it for a moment longer.

"Katie! Lotor! Come inside for dinner!" Turning around, Pidge waved at her mother to let her know that they'd heard. She took hold of his hand.

"You're about to have the best Italian food in the country," She warned, turning around and escorting him back into the house.

"I'm ready," He said confidently.

xx

He really wasn't.

As Pidge's mom heaped yet another serving onto Lotor's plate, he looked at her desperately.

"Mrs. Holt, you're too kind," He groaned slightly as he sat up. "But I'm simply famished."

"Nonsense," Her mother laughed, "You're a growing boy."

"I'm a grown man," Her mother gave him a look, and immediately, Lotor went back to eating. Pidge laughed.

"Mom, stop torturing him. You're going to make him sick before the night is over," Pidge took the plate from Lotor, who threw her a grateful look, and pushed it into the leftovers.

It was dark out now, and most everyone had retired to the living room for a movie before bed. Pidge was doing the washing up with her mother.

"You sound a lot like me sometimes," Her mother glanced behind them and lowered her voice. "But tell me about this boy. Is he a good one?"

Pidge smiled. "Yes, ma. He's nice."

The older woman rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"He's a good one, but if you want specifics," Pidge sighed, rinsing her dish, "He pays attention when I talk, even if I'm not really saying anything important. He takes my input on different matters. He does the chocolate bar thing dad did whenever you guys went shopping. He hasn't tried to change me, even though I represent an entire alien race."

"Sounds like you've got a keeper," Her mother was elbow deep in the water whenever they heard footsteps behind her. An arm wrapped around her waist and cool lips pressed against her cheek. Minty breath bit her nostrils.

"Is it okay if I watch the movie," He stumbled on this word, "so you can have some time with your mother?" Lotor asked, no minding that she was damp with water.

"Go watch the movie," She smiled, "We're almost done anyway," He kissed her forehead once more before padding back the way he'd come. Her mom smiled.

"Yep- definitely a keeper, and if you don't mind me saying- drop-dead gorgeous!"

"Mom!"

xx

When the movie was over, Pidge's mom asked her to take an extender cord to the trampoline to hook up the heated blankets. Of course she complied, but found it odd when, a few moments later, Lotor appeared to be doing the same thing. She paused, looking at him for a second.

"What're you doing?" She asked. Lotor held up the cord he was holding.

"You mother told me to hook up the heating blankets," A feeling of dread filled her, and she immediately dropped what she was doing and headed towards the house. "Katie, is everything alright?" She didn't answer and tried the door. Suddenly, Lotor was behind her, repeating his question.

She sighed, "They locked us outside."

Lotor blinked in confusion. "Why would they do that?"

"If I'm guessing correctly, it's to give us some alone time."

"Ah, I see," Lotor began heading back to the trampoline.

"What're you doing?" Pidge asked, following him. She watched as he climbed on top of the trampoline and started rearranging the blankets, hooking up the heated one.

"I'm not going to fight them on something I've wanted all day," He said simply, laying down and patting the area beside him.

She hesitated only for a moment before joining him. With how the trampoline was built, it made the two of them basically smother one another. After a moment of embarrassing struggling, they finally got comfortable, but with Pidge basically half on top of Lotor. Her whole upper body was on top of his chest, legs tangled between his.

"Is this okay?" She whispered. She hoped he couldn't feel how warm her cheek was through his clothing.

"It's more than okay, Katie," The way he said her name made her breath hitch. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

"Ask anything," She said, just glad that he couldn't see her facial features.

"What do you think of me?" His tone sent her aback with how sad it sounded.

"I think you're an amazingly decent person," She shook her head, "You're nice," frustrated, she let out a sharp breath, "I'm not good with words, Lotor," Then, "I know that you make me laugh, and that I'm happy. I like you a lot."

She bounced on his chest when he chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Did you have any other questions?" She asked, and then they launched into a full discussion of anything and everything.

Pidge couldn't be happier.

xx

Lance wouldn't stop making kissy faces at her. Shiro was calmly grabbing another piece of toast, not making eye contact. Pidge didn't care about any of this, really- She had eyes only for the Galran beside her. It was almost embarrassing.

Allura had schemed the whole thing, and they'd watched through the window. Pidge couldn't find it in herself to be mad- in fact, she was insanely happy. She looked up to see her mother wink at her. While her face burned in embarrassment, Lotor only beamed.

"So, what are you kids going to get up to today?" Her father asked as he sat down, already shoveling a piece of bacon into his mouth.

"We were thinking about swimming," Pidge said, eating some of her own food. She'd forgotten just how much she'd missed her mother's cooking.

"At the community pool or the lake?" He asked, "You'll have a problem either way though- your husband is purple."

Everyone turned to look at Lotor, as if just realizing that fact.

"Morph suit?" Lance suggested, but Hunk immediately shook his head.

"His skin doesn't look anything like fabric."

Lotor looked at her with horrified eyes. "What are they talking about?"

"People dress up in full body fabric suits," Pidge explained, shooting them a glare, "it's nothing really, but I hadn't thought about that."

"Actually," Matt said smugly, "I have just the thing," He produced a ring from behind his back.

"Actually," Keith interjected, "Being engaged to him won't help with that. Plus, he's already married."

Matt pouted as they laughed. "No, the ring will change how you look. It's what got me out of prison," He put it on his own finger, "You just give it a twist and-" Where Matt stood, there was now a purple Galran that shared only some of the same facial features. "I programmed it for every race I could think of. The only thing you can't change is your body proportions."

"That's wicked!" Pidge grinned, "Is it waterproof?"

"You know it. It even molds to the wearers finger, so anyone can use it," He took it off now, returning to his usual self. "Lotor, wanna give it a go?"

Lotor nodded and stood up, taking Matt's place. Putting it on his index finger, Lotor waited. "I just have to turn it?"

"Think of what race you want, and what you want to look like first," Tapping his thumb and index fingers together a few times, he finally twisted the ring.

Pidge almost forgot how to breathe.

His skin wasn't purple anymore, but so dark that it rivaled Allura's. His ears rounded off and the yellow around his blue pupils turned to white. Other than that, he looked like himself. Just- human.

"Close your mouth, Pidge, you'll catch flies," Matt smirked, and she hurried and did so.

"That's amazing."

"Well," Her mother snapped them out of their awe, "You all had best get going. Any later and you won't find anywhere to park."

Nodding, they scarfed down the rest of their food and went to get ready. Pidge grimaced when she realized she didn't have anything- looks like she's going to be wearing shorts and a t-shirt again. Was it okay to wear a sundress to swim in? Lotor was currently in her closet, changing into his trunks, provided by Matt.

"Stay in there for a few minutes!" She called, and only started changing when she heard his confirmation. She decided to go with the t-shirt and shorts, knowing it would be more comfortable. "Alright, I'm decent."

He walked out, and Pidge kept her eyes on his face, so as not to stare obviously at his bare chest. He looked at what she was wearing with a critical eye.

"Is that what women wear to swim in? You won't be very fast."

She blushed, "No, but my old swimsuit isn't going to fit me."

"Fair enough."

Going back downstairs after Pidge packed a few things into a backpack, they waited for everyone to gather in the kitchen. Pidge picked at a muffin. Soon enough, they were waving to her parents as they walked to the barn.

Earlier, before the Garrison, Matt had driven a car to school everyday. Pidge always gave him shit for it.

"Oh, how I've missed Sharon! I wonder how her gluten-free life is going?" Her friends stared at her in confusion as Matt rolled his eyes.

"For the last time, Pidge, that isn't funny."

Her brother's car was the definition of suburban moms- it even had a pop down mirror to look at the kids in the backseat.

They filed in. Matt drove, Shiro in the passenger seat. In the first row, Pidge sat with Allura and Lotor, and Keith, Lance, and Hunk sat in the back. There was enough room that it was a comfortable ride. Matt turned the radio on, but turned it down after they realized they didn't know any of the songs.

The ride was quiet. Pidge couldn't bring herself to say much- she was focused on how pretty Allura was in her swimsuit. She stared out the window for most of the ride.

Her mother had been right- the pool was full. It too a few minutes for Matt to find a parking spot, and by then, they were cramming to get out of the car. Shiro tugged a cooler off the floor, and Pidge briefly wondered when it had gotten there.

Lotor took her hand as they walked, a little ways behind the others.

"I'm glad to be going swimming with you," He said quietly, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I'm glad too," She said, "Is there a place to swim on Galra?"

"There are public places and rural ones, like here I guess. There's one at the castle too. Maybe we can go sometime?"

"Sounds fun," She murmured, and Lotor stopped, tugging her back.

"What's wrong, Katie?"

"It's nothing," She shook her head, "I was just mentally checking off the list of things I brought," It was a half-truth. He looked at her closely, but didn't say anything as they started walking again.

The waterpark was one of the prides of her town- and it was full of people. Even with this, it was so big that there was plenty of space for everyone. After getting in, they went to one of the only grassy areas and laid out their towels. Lotor hugged her to him in a light embrace, so quick that she didn't have any time to wrap her arms around him.

"You're beautiful," He murmured before pulling away. Pidge flushed- he always seemed to hit the nail on the head.

"Thank you," Gently, Lotor took her hand and led her to the edge of the pool.

"Why is this water so unnaturally blue? It smells like chemicals."

"Well," Pidge said, putting a toe in the water, "They put chlorine in the pool so it stays clean. That's the main chemical, anyway."

"That makes sense," He said, "Can I just jump in?"

"Do whatever you want," She smiled, but it turned into a shriek when he jumped and /pulled her in with him/. Sputtering and coughing, Pidge finally broke the surface, a laughing Lotor in her ear.

"Gotcha," He chuckled, kissing her cheek. At this level, Pidge was nowhere near being able to touch the bottom, while Lotor was straight legged, not even swimming really. She was jealous.

"Thanks a lot- now I'm soaked."

"Is that not the point?" He asked, drifting closer. Pidge could smell his breath- minty, but like toothpaste, not candy. Not that she was paying attention to the specifics.

"I usually just watch my friends play in the water or read," She admitted, a light blush dusting across her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry- I wasn't even thinking-" Pidge shook her head, cutting him off.

"This is already much better," Lotor perked up until she said, "But I get to ride on your back now. I'm not that strong of a swimmer."

He shrugged. "Sounds reasonable," and quickly ducked under the water. A moment later, Pidge was thrust into the air, now on top of Lotor's shoulders. She was up to her mid-calf in water now, arms rested on top of his head. He didn't seem to mind.

"Are you guys wanting to play chicken?" Lance laughed, sliding into the water.

"Not at all," Pidge shook her head, and Lance pouted. One by one, their friends formed a loose circle around them, just talking and generally having a good time. The water was cool on her skin, but Lotor's hands around her ankles kept her chest warm. She did her best to suppress her thumping heartbeat.

She was having a great time until she caught a snippet of conversation- "I hope that's just his sister- he's too pretty."

Pidge didn't give any indication that she'd heard, instead electing to ignore it.

Throughout the day, they hung out in different pools and swam. Pidge finally got off of Lotor and went down the waterslide, and the group drifted together down the lazy river. They sat and ate overly-expensive food, and Pidge couldn't stop smiling.

She and Lotor were lazing in the sun now, damp and snugly fitted together on top of their towels. Lance was finally able to play Chicken with Hunk against Keith and Shiro, Allura acting as referee (after the game itself was explained to her).

Pidge smiled as the afternoon sun warmed her skin- she was basically dry now, but was considering asking Lotor to accompany her down the lazy river again. They could share a float as they drifted around in never ending circles.

"Katie?" Pidge perked up, looking over at Lotor, "Would you mind getting us another lemonade? They're really good," Chuckling, Pidge grabbed her wallet and got to her feet, smiling as she walked to the concession stand. On her way back, Lotor wasn't alone. She was only a little ways off when the two girls walked away.

"What did they want?" Pidge asked as she sat down, handing Lotor the drink. Ice clinked against the cup.

"They asked if I was single, conveniently waiting until you left, actually."

Pidge rolled her eyes. "Of course they would."

"And /I/ told them that I'm happily married to the most wonderful woman in the galaxy," He leaned over and kissed her temple, "Thank you for the lemonade."

"You're very welcome," She grinned, leaning into him.

They left only when it was almost time for dinner. They made sure the towels were set on the car cushions before they got back in, and on the way back, the vehicle was full of voices and laughter. Pidge smiled and chatted, but Lotor seemed only to smile at her, fingers playing with the ends of her hair.

At home, they ate again and watched another movie, but Lotor insisted on taking her mother's place in doing the dishes. They washed and rinsed in silence for a few minutes before Lotor started talking.

"You know how I was supposed to propose to Allura before you and me that one night?" Pidge hummed, wondering what he was getting at. "Well, before it was decided, I'd secretly been wishing to court you."

Pidge frowned, "Why?"

Lotor smiled slightly, "You're still thinking yourself inferior to Allura, aren't you?"

"Why did you like me so much at first? I'd never even talked to you," She avoided his eye contact.

Lotor sighed. "I was content to admire you from afar for a while," His smile dropped, "That probably sounds creepy."

"Ah- It's okay," Pidge stuttered, "That must have been boring though. I mainly toyed with my machines or read."

"Actually, I didn't find it boring at all. You're very expressive when you work, and I liked seeing you happy when something went right."

Now that Pidge thought about it, she had spent a lot of time out of her room in the weeks after the war- she hadn't wanted to be alone.

"I wish I could have attended your- birthday? Did you have one of those?"

"Yes- Earth people like to celebrate the day of a person's birth every year, to commemorate another year of life. Do you do anything like that on Galra?"

"Oh, no. it's not an every year thing. We only celebrate for the important ages, like coming of age."

"Are your years different from Earth's?"

"Yes! Earth has a calendar of- twelve months, right?" He continued once Pidge nodded her confirmation. "Galra count time by years as well, but it takes about six hundred days to go completely around our sun, so we split it up into four quarters, which makes each time have a period of one hundred and fifty days."

"That almost doubles ours- not including that Galra have six extra hours."

"Exactly, so I'm sure you can see why things like that tend to slip our minds."

"I get it."

"Look, Katie," Lotor sighed, "Before you so perfectly changed the subject, what I was trying to get at was that I wanted you to know that I would've chosen you to court instead of Allura."

This didn't make any sense to Pidge- Allura was the obvious choice in every way. She was beautiful, already ready to be a queen, and she was smart and funny. Lotor seemed to read this on her face, and he grabbed her hands, his still warm from the water.

"I knew why you were upset earlier, Katie. When will you believe what I'm saying?"

"When it makes sense!" Pidge finally said, albeit a little rushed. "It doesn't make sense that anyone would like me over Allura- most of all you! When I saw you around her, you obviously looked like you were meant to be together. You look the part of king and queen so easily- You're both beautiful, and know how to get around politics, and can smile convincingly for the camera. Me?" Pidge laughed, "I'm lucky if I'm not covered in grease.

"I'm snarky and look like a bitch. My smile makes me look like I'm in pain, and I can't act like a lady," She took a deep breath, "so frankly, I find what you say to be highly unlikely." Lotor looked at her for a moment, face dull of emotion, but then her pulled her to his chest, not caring that her arms soaked his shirt.

"Those things are what I love about you the most. Your humor makes me laugh. I love teaching you about politics and about my world in general. No matter what Nanette may say, you won't have to act like a proper lady if you don't want to. As for looks," He kissed the top of her head, "Your smile is sweeter than any syrup, and your eyes glow in beautiful shades of honey and amber. Your skin is always so soft- but beauty is not only confined to your outer appearance.

"I assure you, Katie, if you weren't already mine, I would fight any battle to be able to be near you for only a moment," Pidge blinked, suddenly aware of the lack of breath in her lungs. "Please believe me when I say that your beauty, inside and out, can be rivaled by nothing," He gazed down at her, "And if you think I'm beautiful, just believe that my looks in no way compare to yours."

Pidge could barely comprehend it- could anything he said be true? As if seeing her doubt, Lotor squeezed her lightly. "Every day I find another thing about you that I fall in love with," She started to sniffle, and Lotor immediately leaned back, panicked. "Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?"

Quickly, Pidge shook her head, embarrassed as she wiped her tears away. "No, not at all. I just- I love you," She blurted, and her lips turned up slightly at Lotor's dumbfounded expression.

"Will you repeat that, please?" He asked, and Pidge smiled fully this time.

"I love you."

Suddenly she was picked up off her feet, spinning around the small kitchen. Lotor had a look of utter joy on his face, his smile stretched wide. A moment later, she was set back down- it was like she was sitting in front of the sun. Lotor's smile brightened the room, and her eyes were still blurry from tears.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me," Lotor brought her close, warm hands cupping her face, "I'm so- happy. God, I can't even use words correctly."

Giggling, Pidge hugged him to her and pulled back again after a moment. "You make me happy," Then, glancing at the dishes, she said, "We should probably finish those."

xx

As they finished washing the dishes, Pidge's mother winked back at her father, and they closed the kitchen door.

xx

It was time for their friends to go. Though they missed their families terribly, they still took their time saying goodbye, and it was decided that Allura would go back to Japan with Shiro. They even were civil with Lotor after seeing him interact with Pidge. It was agreed that Lotor was different than his father, and could be trusted to take care of their friend.

They're leaving also meant that the couple didn't have to sleep on the trampoline anymore- not that they particularly minded.

After they left (on a different ship, brought by Coran), the rest of the week was spent with Pidge's family, just lazing about and going through old family albums and home videos.

But there was one place Pidge still had to go.

One morning, Pidge woke herself up early, leaving a note for Lotor on the nightstand that told him she'd be back soon. After pulling the blanket back up over him, she took a wrapped package and the keys to her parent's car before stowing away. She'd never actually learned how to drive, but it didn't take her long to get used to the controls. In no time at all, she was in front of a small shop full of beautiful dresses, still in the same styles it was all those years ago. She hadn't even been sure that the shop still existed, or that Margaret was still alive.

But there it was, exactly like she remembered.

Turning off the car and grabbing her package, Pidge went into the store.

"The only people," An old voice croaked, "that come into a dress shop early are either-"

"Desperate or friends," Pidge finished for her, and the woman appeared form behind a rack, her old eyes as bright and intelligent as ever.

"Katie?"

"Hey, Margaret," She bit her lip, shifting slightly. "I know it's been a while."

Margaret came closer and suddenly slapped her arm. "A while? Katie, you've been gone for five years- almost six if you count the few months you left for the Garrison. I had to hear it from your mother when you left."

"I'm sorry," Pidge looked at the floor, but then was enveloped in a hug.

"I missed you," She stepped back, assessing Pidge's clothing. "Where did you get these? The colors are so bright."

"Margaret," Pidge sighed, "If you want to hear everything, we're going to need a pot of cocoa."

Margaret smiled, "Say no more," She went and flipped the sign to 'CLOSED' and locked the door. They then went to the back, and the old woman started heating up some milk. Pidge had offered to make it, but Margaret shooed her away. "Go, sit. Get ready to tell your story."

When everything was situated and ready, Pidge started talking. The old woman had always been aware of aliens, but had never met one- she used to make uniforms for the Garrison, where she picked up on secret knowledge as she measured the students and professors alike. During Pidge's story, Margaret never said anything, only crossed her feet and sipped her drink. When Pidge finally finished, she sat and fidgeted as her old friend didn't speak.

"So," Margaret finally said, "They decided that it was okay to push a fifteen year old in the middle of an intergalactic war because some ancient magical lion /chose/ her?" Her voice was sharp, "I need to have some words with someone."

"Oh, no- it's really fine. It's how I was able to find my brother. Really, I'm okay with it."

"Well, I'm not!" Margaret bristled, "You were just a child! And now you're married- to keep peace between all the races? That's utter horse shit."

"Really, Margaret, it all turned out fine-"

"If anything, you're still a child. You're only nineteen for gods sake, I mean, yeah, you're technically an adult, but you haven't ever been able to go out and /live/-"

"Margaret!" Pidge didn't want to live, but she could tell that the old woman was about to be inconsolable. "I have lived more than I would've been able to living on this rock.

"I've seen so many other planets and met different races. I'm learning languages that this place has never dreamed of, and worked with tech so far above our own. I've belonged to a whole new family- and then found mine. I've established a bond with a giant magical robot lion and fought with my family for the future of the galaxies.

"I've even found love, finally, and I'm grateful that I found it so early in my life," Pidge continued, smiling softly. "It may have been arranged, but I've fallen in love with him., and am excited to lead our people into many, many years of peace and prosperity. Margaret, I don't wish my life any different. I have everything I've ever wanted."

Margaret was quiet, and nodded, "I'm sorry. I let my emotions get to me. Why don't you tell me more about your husband?"

Pidge did so gladly, and then was finally able to give Margaret her package. "I made it myself, after I made Lotor's clothes. What do you think?"

Margret took the fabric out and assessed it, running her hands along the seams. "I think you've remembered everything I've taught you." Pidge flushed with pride while Margaret asked, "What is it for?"

"You," She grinned excitedly, "I wasn't exactly sure on the measurements so I just did my best guess from a few photos I found on the internet. Will you try it on?"

Margaret smiled and disappeared into one of the changing rooms, and emerged a few moments later, her smile wide. "This is amazing, dear!" She exclaimed, then turned serious. "You were always my best pupil."

"I'm really glad I got to see you again," Pidge smiled, but then it dimmed. "Lotor and I are planning on leaving tomorrow."

Margaret nodded and hugged her quickly, "Then go spend that time with your parents- they're more important," She let go then and stepped back. "I'll be here when you come back."

Pidge took a few minutes to properly say goodbye before actually leaving, a happy hum underneath her breath. She drove home on autopilot, breathing a sigh of relief when she finally parked in the driveway. She spotted Lotor when she got out, going to join him by the garden, where he was watering flowers.

"Morning, darling," He said once he saw her. His eyes went back to the task at hand, the water gently falling on top of the new blooms. "I missed you this morning."

Pidge smiled at the name and leaned against the wall. "I just went to see an old friend."

"Did you have a good visit?"

She nodded, "Yeah, it was nice. She wasn't exactly happy about where I'd been, but I think she's okay with how it turned out."

He stopped spraying then and turned to face her. She was surprised to see a serious look on his face, one that drew his brows together. "Are you sure you're okay with how it turned out?"

"Yes," She didn't hesitate, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm more than okay."

"So am I," He kissed the crown of her head and leaned back. "Now that these plants are sufficiently watered, I have a surprise for you," Pidge could feel giddiness rise up in her as Lotor led her to the house, holding the door open for her as they stepped inside. "Your mother helped me make it."

They stepped into the kitchen then, and Pidge's eyes lit up. "You made breakfast?" On the table, there was a feast of different foods- omelets, gooey cinnamon rolls, muffins.

"Your mother helped me," Lotor repeated bashfully, but then the woman herself appeared, shaking her head.

"I only told him where the ingredients were. He did it all himself."

Pidge looked up at him, grinning, "What's the occasion?"

His fingers brushed her jaw, "To see you smile," As her heart melted, he added, "but also to celebrate your birthday."

Pidge blinked in confusion. "My birthday? But that was last month."

"Exactly, dear," Her father appeared then with Matt, bundled down with an armload of presents. "We've missed five of your birthdays and even your wedding. We plan to catch up."

"But what about Matt?" She asked, looking at her smiling brother.

He only winked at her and said, "There's plenty of time for me, Katie. It's you who's going back off to perform your queenly duties."

Pidge had almost forgotten that they were leaving. They had to start helping the planets in their quadrant with the New Peace.

"So get over here, birthday girl, and open your presents!" Pidge drew the thoughts out of her mind and walked up to the wax-covered muffins. Thinking for only a moment, she blew out the candles and smiled for the camera.

Lotor stumbled over the words to 'Happy Birthday' but then immediately presented her with flowers and an envelope. She sniffed at the sweet smelling flowers before glancing at the manila envelope.

"It's not another planet, is it?" She asked, smiling.

"No, actually. Just open it," He watched her with amused eyes as she carefully set the flowers down and opened what she assumed was a letter, sliding the card out. It wasn't a letter- just a single photograph of a cabin surrounded by a lush forest. She didn't even have time to ask what it was before Lotor told her, "It's our cabin on your planet. They finished construction yesterday and you mother printed it out for me."

"Please, Lotor, call me Colleen," Her mother gushed, and Lotor nodded with a smile before turning his attention back to Pidge. "Do you like it? It's probably on the smaller side, but I figured that it wouldn't bother you and-" Lotor was starting to ramble, so Pidge went forward and unthinkingly pecked his mouth to silence him.

Matt's shout was instantaneous, cursing in god's name. Pidge's parents scolded him and Lotor stared at Pidge with his jaw dropped. It was then that she realized what she'd done- she kissed him without thinking about it. She blushed and went to apologize, but his slacked jaw had turned into a radiant smile. He pressed another package into her hands.

"That wasn't even your official birthday present, but I'm pleased anyway," He grinned at her and she looked away quickly, cheeks darkening.

Opening it, she pulled out a soft silk fabric the color of the deep forest. The first was a shirt, followed by matching pants. "These are so soft!" She exclaimed.

"I figured that you'd like some night clothes in your favorite color," Lotor said, looking expectant. Pidge only raised her eyebrows and turned away. Even then, he didn't seem upset- just amused.

After she opened the rest of her presents, they ate breakfast and let Pidge pick a movie to watch. She was going to sit on the long sofa with her family, but they'd conveniently taken up the entire thing, Matt even going as far as to stretch himself completely out over the arm of the couch.

"Choose a side," She muttered as she went and snuggled on the loveseat with Lotor. She was pleased though- the only reason she was going to sit with her family was because it was their last day together. Even so, Lotor's arms were warm as he pulled her close.

"What movie did you pick?" He asked as the beginning credits began to roll. Pidge smiled as a giddy feeling settled over her.

"Just one of my most favorite movies of all time," She whispered, "It's about a girl who meets a magician and then gets turned into an old woman."

"I can't wait to watch it then," He said, looking over at her. Looking back at the television, she slyly wrapped her hand around his and held on for the rest of the night.

xx

The next morning, Pidge and Lotor said their goodbyes to her family. Her father hugged Lotor and called him 'son'. Her mother gave him a bag of her homemade cookies and kissed his cheek. Matt clapped him on the back and smiled, signaling that his original aggression was over. This goodbye was just as hard as when she said goodbye to her friends the weekend prior. They were all her family, and she knew she would miss them terribly for the rest of her life, between visits of course.

When they got back to their ship, Pidge waved to her family one last time before they took off. She then joined Lotor in the cockpit to accompany him as they flew back home.

Home. It applied to their home on Galra now, too. This realization warmed Pidge's chest.

Lotor was intently focused on his task, but still managed to keep up their conversation, probably so she wouldn't dwell on her sadness of leaving her family again. "I like your family."

Pidge leaned back, smiling. "I'm glad to hear that. They like you too."

"Are you sure? After everything my parents did to your family?"

"They know that you're not your parents," She assured him gently, "They like you."

"Your father called me 'son'." Lotor seemed to be processing everything, so she nodded.

"He did."

Then, he said a little quieter, "Are parents supposed to act like that?"

Pidge got up from her seat and put her arms around his shoulders. "Yes," She didn't feel like she needed to elaborate.

Though her legs were wobbly, she stood next to him until they landed home.

xx

They decided to relax for the rest of the night before traveling to Balmera the next morning. They'd only be spending a few days there, but Pidge was looking forward to seeing Shay again. At the castle on Galra, Lotor disappeared to take care of a few different things around the palace while Pidge elected to repack. Sadly, she mostly had to take formal clothing, as there would be a multitude of important meetings and press conferences. Just in case though, Pidge stuck a casual top and pair of shorts in, along with her gardening sandals. She was reading again when Lotor returned, carrying a platter full of food.

"I stole this from the kitchens."

"Does it really count as stealing if you take it?" She asked as he placed the platter on top of the duvet. Her mouth salivated at the sight of the food, and she put down her book to pick at it. Lotor changed in the closet again before joining her to eat their snack.

"I man, I guess not, but saying 'I asked the kitchens for some food' doesn't sound nearly as cool."

Pidge popped a piece of fruit into her mouth, "You're completely right."

It was a few more minutes before Lotor said anything. "How are you liking Galra?" Pidge quickly swallowed the food in her mouth. "It's a lot like Earth, actually, just in a different color scheme. The people are nice too," She swallowed her food, "I like it a lot actually."

"I'm happy to hear that- I really liked visiting your Earth too. Maybe next time you can take me farther into your Italy."

Guilt immediately hit Pidge, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry."

Lotor blinked in confusion, "For what?"

"You only got to see my parents house basically the entire time, and even when we went to the pool I didn't tell you anything about it."

"Oh, no, it's completely fine. I wanted to know more about where you grew up than the geography this time anyway. We can do that next time."

"Are you sure?" She asked again, her heart restricting.

Lotor leaned forward and kissed her forehead, "I'm very sure, love. There will be plenty enough time to explore your planet later."

She smiled as her heart resumed its normal pace, "Alright."

He settled back, pleased. "Alright."

Pidge bit her lip but couldn't help but say, "If you're sure."

"Oh my gods," Lotor groaned and Pidge laughed. They finished their food and went to sleep, bodies subconsciously finding one another in the night.

xx

When Pidge woke up, she was immediately aware of two different things: 1) She was using Lotor's arm as a pillow and 2) His hand was gently kneading the knots out of her back.

"Good morning, dear," Lotor said quietly as she yawned. "Did you sleep okay?"

Pidge managed to nod, but didn't settle, "Is it okay that I'm laying on you?"

He chuckled lightly. "Of course, but I also want to bring up something about your back- it's full of knots. I've been trying to work some of them out, but it's going to take a while."

"That's okay," She mumbled, "you don't have to."

Secretly, she wished he would.

"No, you need to get this tended to. It's not good for your body, and will cause problems later. Though, it'll have to wait just a few more vargas I'm afraid- we have to leave in a little while," Boing in Lotor's warm embrace was like heaven- she didn't even want to think of moving. Boldly, she scooted forward until her head was on his chest, slinging her arm around his waist. It's too bad that he wears a shirt to bed, she found herself thinking, and blushed, turning her head so Lotor couldn't see her face. His body had initially stilled, but relaxed once Pidge was in place. Both of his hands came up then to spay across her back, redirecting their heat into her skin.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," He whispered, and they laid their until they absolutely had to go.

Neither minded that they had to rush to get aboard the ship.


	5. Chapter 5

Shay was the first one to greet them when they landed. Her smiling face immediately lifted Pidge's spirits, but she held herself back from launching herself at the advisor. Pidge and Lotor had changed into their formal clothing, and Pidge was both embarrassed and grateful for Lotor's help of getting her into her dress. It had a tight bodice, and the violet fabric flowed down to her toes. Thankfully she didn't have to wear heels- The terrain was too rocky, so she was wearing black flats.

Lotor walked silently beside her, seeming to be lost in thought as Pidge caught up with her friend. When he reached out to take her hand, she threaded her fingers through his easily, smiling over at him. Shay grinned at the two of them as they went along.

"Congratulations on both your wedding and coronation, by the way," Shay said easily. "I'm sure our Lord sent something, but I thought I would wait until you got here."

"Oh, Shay, you didn't have to!" Pidge exclaimed, instantly excited. Lotor squeezed her hand. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble, really." Shay waved her hand. "I was told to escort you both to your quarters. Of course, you're free to do as you wish while you're here. Meetings will be held tomorrow so you both can rest after your travels."

"May I ask where Lord Bayok is?" Lotor asked quickly, peering at the Balmeran over Pidge.

"I was told that he's busy with preparations for tonight's feast, and asks for your forgiveness for not being here."

"It's perfectly alright." Lotor said as they descended down into the Balmeran's depths. "I do hope we don't get terribly lost while we explore though."

"I'm sure you shouldn't, but if you do, Her Highness Katherine has my contact. And the path is always lit by our crystals."

"Please," Pidge admonished, "Shay, we're friends. Call me Pidge."

"Of course, Pidge. Just making sure." She winked at Pidge as they went throughout some twisted hallways until they were suddenly in a large cavern. "This is the main city. Since all of Balmera's population live underneath the surface, most of the population live in these cities, though some prefer to live in the outside tunnels."

"I see. And does the Balmera get other supplements for lack of sun exposure?" Lotor inquired, and Pidge smiled. She'd almost forgotten that he'd wanted to explore and learn everything about the universe and its many cultures, and it made her happy to see him still be able to do that.

She listened as Shay prattled off different facts and watched Lotor's enraptured face as he listened attentively. Her mind wandered as they walked, and she admired the small glowing crystals that made the path underneath their feet. These stones illuminated everything so that it was almost as if the sun did exist underground, and Pidge couldn't help but find it to be one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen. The buildings were built with rocks and hardened clay but were oddly symmetrical as they went around, sanded down until they were completely smooth.

After walking through the crowded streets, the group went into a large, beautifully architecture structure. Though it was made as all the others were, it was intricately carved and painted, and dotted with the glowing crystals. Inside was just as beautiful and grand, the ground littered with elaborate rugs and furniture. Hallways led off to different areas, and the main lobby was buzzing with people.

"It shouldn't be too far now," Shay said. Another Balmeran appeared and quickly whispered to her. "And I've just been informed that your room is ready and that dinner will be served in the ballroom in about a varga."

/Another formal event,/ Pidge thought sulkily. She only hoped that Shay would be seated somewhere near them. If not, at least Lotor would be beside her.

Shay then showed them to their room, a grand suite filled with all sorts of modern appliances. "Our Lord made sure that your stay would include every luxury, even if he himself went without them," Lotor assured her that such things weren't necessary, but Shay said that Lord Bayok would have nothing less. Pidge hugged Shay once more before she and Lotor went into their room. A Balmeran trailed after them, but it was only to set their bags down before leaving again.

Pidge looked over at Lotor. "Do I have to change clothes?"

Lotor chuckled. "I'm afraid so, my love. What you're wearing is considered formal traveling attire. That isn't dinner party material."

"Things like that are stupid," Pidge complained as she took off her shoes. "I wear the same outfit for everything."

"Dear, you also only owned one outfit." Lotor admonished.

"Whatever," Pidge's huff was long and drawn out "Just help me find something appropriate."

Lotor grabbed both of their bags and placed them gently on the bed. "If it makes you feel better, I have to change too."

Pidge smiled as she dug into her duffel. "That does make me feel better actually."

Lotor only shook his head as he pulled out his own clothes, laying them on the bed. "Let me help you out of your dress before I change."

Nodding, Pidge turned and offered her back to him, trying not to shiver as his delicate fingers brushed against her skin. As he untied her bodice, Pidge could feel her ribs going back into their rightful place and took in a large breath. Lotor stepped back once he was finished, politely turning around as Pidge rummaged through her duffel again. "If I tied that too tight," He said, "you should have said something. And if you want something appropriate wear the violet dress."

Nodding to herself, Pidge found the item and pulled it out, admiring its silver embroidery. The top was mostly just sashes, and she could tell already that it was going to show her entire back. The bottom of the skirt was hemmed with beads, a touch Pidge couldn't help but love. Finally, she thought to reply to him, "I figured that you knew when to stop."

Lotor laughed aloud and shook his head, though he was still facing the other way. "You're mistaken. Please tell me next time."

Pidge assured him that she would and made sure he was still turned around before she let her traveling dress pool around her on the floor. She then quickly grabbed the violet dress and slipped it on, only momentarily having problems with the bodice fabric. It crossed around her stomach just above her belly button and around her back, only then to come back around and widen to cover her breasts before joining around the back of her neck.

It was stunning.

"Okay," She said, and Lotor turned around to see her once again. She hoped he wouldn't see her blush.

"If we weren't already married I would've proposed immediately."

Pidge's smiled turned teasing. "I would've had to think about it."

For a moment it was as if they'd gravitated to each other- they were closer than they were before, and the next second they were closer still. Pidge thought he was going to kiss her, no, she hoped he was. Her lips were already buzzing with adrenaline, breathing shakily.

Then Lotor smiled lightly and leaned away. "I'm going to need just a moment to change, my dear." With that, the spell was broken, and Pidge moved back, trying hard to not let the disappointment show on her face, so she nodded and set about putting her traveling dress back into the duffel. Were they really that close? Did he not want to kiss her?

Was she just reading too much into it?

She set the bag off to the side against the wall when Lotor reappeared, looking handsome in his Galran formal wear. It perfectly matched Pidge's dress, only with pants. His top wrapped around his body as hers did, but wrapped one loop around his neck, with embroidered beads leading through the entire piece, slicking slightly as he walked. The crown complimented him beautifully, and Pidge blushed when she realized she was staring. Before she could possibly embarrass herself further, she distracted Lotor with a question.

"If that's the traditional wear of the Galra, why didn't you wear something like that for the coronation? Or our wedding?"

"I wanted to blend in as much as I could with you and your friends," Lotor blushed. Pidge's smile widened so much that it hurt her face, and she had the overwhelming urge to kiss him again. Instead, she adjusted her crown and bit her lip, and not even a moment later there was a knock at the door calling them for dinner.

Lotor held his hand out to her. "Ready to go?"

Pidge placed her hand in his easily, smiling. "Ready."

With that, the two met with the guards posted outside their room who took them to the dining hall. The path they took was smooth, so Pidge didn't have any troubles walking in her new heels (She wasn't allowed flats this time). Once they finally made it to the dining room, they thanked the two guards and went inside. Immediately, the two were surrounded by influential Balmerans. They greeted, congratulated, and complimented the couple's attire. Shay managed to get to them and escort them through the mass to their table. By custom, the Balmerans sit in accordance to their rank, and then from right to left. Therefore, Pidge and Lotor would sit tallest and rightmost, befitting their royal status to that of Lord Bayok's. Shay, as head advisor to the lord, would sit directly left of his wife.

Pidge tried not to squirm too much as they were left, waiting for Lord Bayok to arrive. Lotor noticed her fidgeting and placed his hand over hers, stilling it. "What is it, my love?"

Pidge made sure to keep her voice low, "I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this Bayok guy. It all just seems.. unprofessional."

Lotor nodded only enough for her to see. "You're not wrong. Under my father's reign, Bayok was deeply submissive. I'm thinking that he's trying to reestablish his dominance by showing us this hospitality, though there isn't much we can do besides throw a royal fit. This is a peace signing, though I assure you his actions will not be forgotten. Not only has Lord Bayok disrespected us, but he disrespected you." The Lord himself appeared then in a grand entrance, his voice already booming against the walls.

"I'm terribly sorry for my tardiness Your Highnesses. You see, I had a terrible rush to ready myself after overseeing the plans for this feast." He strode up the stairs toward them, his arms thrown wide. Lotor plastered a smile onto his face and stood, guiding Pidge along with him. It was all Pidge could do to copy him, and she hoped her smile was just as convincing.

The lord wore a robe of fine blue silks, golden thread embroidering the seams. His skin was dark, and he was panting by the time he reached them. To Pidge, it looked as if he were trying to look as if her were worth more than them, but she held her tongue. She briefly decided that Lord Bayok was out of shape in Balmeran standards, but kept her smile as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Congratulations, my friends. And may I be bold as to say that your wife is radiant tonight."

Lotor's smile didn't waver. "Thank you Lord Bayok. You look remarkably healthy as well."

The Balmeran Lord seemed already tired of pleasantries, as he thanked them and stood in front of his own seat. Raising his arms, he loudly stated, "To our honored guest, Their Highnesses King Lotor and Queen Katherine, may they reign long and prosper all throughout their lives." With that and a toast, they sat down and the first course was brought in.

"The first of everything was brought to the couple to choose what they wanted. Pidge was a bit bothered- would the people at the end have any left?- so she took little, and said it was because she wasn't very hungry. Lord Bayok did his best to dominate the conversation with both Lotor and Pidge, leaving forward as if to exclude her entirely.

"Tomorrow, out meeting is scheduled to be held over lunch, so we can be clear of mind and happy with our stomachs. I've arranged a guide to show Her Highness Katherine around the Balmera."

Her movements slowing, Pidge glanced at the lord. Why didn't he say this to her? "When is that scheduled?"

"It will start after you've broken your fast and continue until dusk."

"Even for the meeting?" Lord Bayok seemed at a loss for words. Pidge noticed that his wife hadn't said a word the whole evening, staring into her plate.

"With no offense, I would prefer Katherine at the meeting as well. Her council is very important to me, as it is to all of Galra." Lotor spoke up, smiling at her. It was the first genuine one all evening, and Pidge's heart warmed when she realized.

Lord Bayok nodded his head, though his large grin dimmed just a bit. "I was not sure, that is no problem. I hope I did not cause any offense, Your Highness."

Pidge assured the lord that all was well even as her blood boiled.

"What does he think me as?" She whispered angrily as she placed her crown on the dresser, perhaps with a bit more force than needed. "I'm not simply some idle woman."

Lotor came over and placed her crown on a pillow, more gently than she had. "I'm not exactly sure, but nonetheless you'll be attending the meeting." He bit his lip as he watched her pace around, feet stomping as she had kicked her heels across the room. "Please come to bed dear, your mind needs to be fresh for the morning. Then you can show Bayok how to rightfully view you."

Sighing, Pidge shuffled over, but instead of sliding into bed, she slotted herself around Lotor, hands meeting around his back and head landing on his chest. Lotor's arms immediately wrapped around her, rubbing soothing circles into her back.

"Help me out of my dress then," Pidge said softly. Her arms fell off of Lotor when he stepped back, walking around her to loosen the clasp around her neck. He laid the fabric on top of her shoulders and immediately left to change. It was becoming easier to not reduce to a blushing mess when Lotor helped her out of her clothing, though she still did her best to not dwell on the feeling of his hands on her skin.

After changing into pajamas, Pidge slid underneath the soft duvet, the cool fabric calling goosebumps to her skin. She decided hat she was going to learn more than what she already had, just so no one would think less of her again. She still couldn't believe that Lord Bayok had even thought to remove her from the meeting. Her mind quieted when Lotor returned, sporting the pajamas she made him. He then turned off the light and laid next to her, immediately snuggling into her side.

"You're so warm," He said, breath fanning her face. She turned herself, legs intertwining as they held onto each other's hands.

Her mind quieted, and she fell asleep.

xx

The next morning, Pidge wanted to look as powerful as she felt. she asked Lotor to braid her hair, and this time he was able to braid her bangs back away from her face. She still wasn't exactly sure about makeup even with the tips her mother had given her, so she only applied some foundation and mascara, the volume of her eyelashes making her feel bold.

She chose a beautiful dress, more stunning than the evening before- one made of emerald green silk and dotted with something that resembled sapphires on the bodice. The dress tightly fit her chest and lower back, looser around her waist and flowing down to her feet. The sides of the dress were slit up to the middle of her thigh, though not exactly noticeable unless she had a long stride.

Lotor wore a formal piece, the black and silver tones contrasting beautifully with her dress. He finished his look with two blue runs of fabric laying vertically across his shoulders.

His pants fit him pretty nicely as well.

Though she liked how she looked, she wished that it was socially acceptable to wear her paladin armor to the meeting. Not that she was the green paladin anymore- that was her brother now.

They were ready to go then and were directed to the meeting room. The party inside stood up when the pair walking in, bowing lowly as Pidge took her seat. Lotor then sat as well, and immediately plates of wonderful smelling food were put in front of them, causing Pidge to salivate.

Lord Bayok was already there, accompanied by the woman from last night. He gestured to her, "Your Highnesses, this is my Lady wife Mardon."

Lady Mardon curtsied. "It's an honor to meet you." Pidge wondered why they weren't introduced the night before.

"The honor is ours," Lotor said, a gentlemanly smile on his face. "My wife and I enjoy it here, truly."

Pidge nodded in confirmation. Really the only thing she was enjoying was the food, the tech, ad getting to see Shay. She almost wished she wasn't at the meeting, but quickly discarded the thought. She wanted to learn to be a leader for her and Lotor's people, and that meant attending these types of meetings among other things.

"Why don't we eat then?" Lotor suggested, prodding along the conversation, and Pidge could've sworn she saw Lord Bayok's eye twitch just a little.

It was just the four of them, so Pidge and Lotor laid their entwined hands on top of the table as they ate. Pidge noticed that Lord Bayok and his wife kept a distance from each other, not even close enough to touch accidentally. The small conversation was a bit forced, but Pidge was just glad that they hadn't lapsed into uncomfortable silence.

"The pictures of your wedding were beautiful, Your Highnesses. I apologize for not attending." Lady Mardon mentioned, taking a sip of her drink.

"It's quite alright," Lotor nodded, "Katherine and I wanted a small gathering anyway, so we only invited family and close friends."

"I see." Lord Bayok said, once again taking the conversation. "Will there be another celebration then?"

"We were originally planning to," Pidge found herself saying, "but then we decided that it wouldn't be appropriate to have a party until all the planets within our quadrant were seen to."

Lord Bayok seemed surprised that she'd spoken to him, and he glanced between her and Lotor questioningly. She made her face stay absolutely neutral, not revealing her quiet anger.

"Of course," He finally said after a tense moment, and Lotor discreetly squeezed her hand. "I hope you would grace us with an invitation, whenever the time may be."

"Of course," Pidge smiled thinly and went back to eating.

Lotor put his own utensil down with grace, even though he was using his non-dominant hand. Pidge always felt a swell of affection in her when Lotor went out of his was to give her small comforts.

"So, about your resources," Lotor began, not pulling his fingers from hers as he leaned forward. "How are you wanting to go about that?" Lord Bayok seemed surprised at first but then began speaking. Pidge knew Lotor's strategy at once- let the leader make demands to softly counter, so they wouldn't feel threatened.

It was quickly decided that only a small amount of crystals would be extracted for the next five years, for the Balmerans to bring up their strength in the environment and resources. The Galra would shield them from any possible attack in exchange for their resources. Lady Mardon never said a word for the duration of the negotiations, a complete opposite from Pidge. She tactfully reminded Lord Bayok of all the things the Galra were already doing for the Balmerans- The safety guarantee, for one, along with smaller things like funding to rebuild their economy- whenever the Lord got too tense and demanding.

By the end of their conversation, everyone had what they wanted, and they could speak freely about other things. Lord Bayok even surprised Pidge by asking her about her hobbies.

"Well, I used to be a Paladin of Voltron, and even though I'd love to train, I usually find that I'm studying alien languages and learning the customs of our people." She shared a look with Lotor, and he smiled.

"She's brilliant, Lord Bayok, to put it simply. One of the smartest individuals that I've ever known." Pidge beamed with pride from the compliment. Lord Bayok nodded, and his wife looked at him wistfully. Noticing the glance, Pidge asked her about herself.

"I usually don't have much to do with our people, but I do enjoy cooking and sewing." Pidge nodded, a bit put off, but it was something she could work with.

"Do you make clothes?"

Lady Mardon blinked, "I do."

"Me too!" Pidge said, and they spent the next few minutes talking about different designs they've done. "I'm a horrible cook though."

"I could help you with that sometime," Lady Mardon offered, and Pidge happily accepted. Lord Bayok looked at his wife a little differently after that.

"We also have a training room that you both are welcome to use," Lord Bayok quipped in, hoping to gain the point of the conversation. "Only say the word, and it will be cleared for your personal use."

"Sounds perfect." Pidge gave him a smile, and then they were finally able to conclude their meeting.

Lotor and Pidge promptly returned to their room. "You did wonderful, dear," He said once they got inside. "A natural diplomat."

Pidge blushed, "I barely said anything."

Lotor paused, turning to fully face her. "Nonsense. You made the negotiation civil and fair. If not for you. Lord Bayok would've been insulted by my reluctance to relinquish our forces to him."

Pidge smiled to herself. "It was really nothing."

"Whatever you say, dear." Lotor sighed. "Were you wanting to make use of their training facility?"

"Yes! Luckily, I thought to bring regular clothes."

"Like casual wear? Is that okay to train in?"

Pidge considered for a moment. "I don't see why not. I'll be back in a minute." Taking her leave to the bathroom, Pidge changed into the t-shirt and shorts, taking a moment to study her body. She's grown taller since the war began, and her hair was more light than dark. She no longer wore Matt's glasses- either she'd given them back or she'd lost them somewhere, most likely the latter. She still barely had any curves or an ass at all, but her breasts were larger. She looked at them again. At least there was a difference from when she was fifteen.

She walked back out then to a fully dressed Lotor. He wore a loose black shirt with the sleeves cut off for more movement and his pants fit him even better than the last pair. She pulled her head out of her thoughts and grabbed her duffle bag, but sighed when she realized that she hadn't brought proper training shoes. Lotor noticed this as well.

"Are you sure you still want to train?" He asked, looking at her bare feet in concern.

Pidge grabbed a water bottle and towel from the bathroom. "I'll be perfectly okay. I have a lot of calluses on my feet because I refused to wear shoes as a kid anyways," She fidgeted when he still didn't say anything. "Are you ready?"

Lotor blinked, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Yes. Yes of course. Only if you're sure."

Pidge smiled, walking past him and opening the door. "After you, my love."

A wide grin spread across Lotor's face until dimples appeared around the corners of his mouth. Pidge hadn't seen them since she'd told him she loved him.

Lotor went past her then, kissing her cheek and still grinning like he'd won the lottery. They asked the guards to escort them to the training facility, and they walked hand in hand. Pidge's cheeks were still burning even as they made it to the facilities doors. The guards bowed and exchanged pleasantries with the others posted there. Pidge pulled Lotor inside, surprised to see that it was already empty.

"It isn't that late, is it?" She asked him, putting her things against the wall.

"No," Lotor answered, sounding just as curious as her. "it's only around the fourteenth varga. It should be full, especially with their guards."

"But," Pidge held up a finger, "the Balmerans are super passive and nonviolent. Their 'guards' are pretty much escorts and lookouts."

"You've got a point." Lotor put his things next to hers on the ground. "What do you usually do before training?"

"I stretch out my muscles to make them less likely to tear."

"Your muscles.. tear?"

"Yes."

"I'll leave you to it then."

Pidge shrugged and leaned over to touch the floor, starting her warmup. It only took about ten minutes before her legs and arms were ready, and she was up and walking to the middle of the room.

"So how are you wanting to do this?" She asked, rolling her shoulders.

"Since we've only fought in our ships, why don't we spar? Just to get a feel for each other."

"Sounds good. Attack or defend?"

"I'll attack first. Then we can switch the second round."

"Perfect." Pidge got into position then, turning her body to the side to make herself a smaller target. An arm immediately went in front and behind her, and her stance was ready. Lotor's eyes narrowed for a moment, assessing her before he got into his own.

Which wasn't really anything, because he just fucking launched himself at her.

His attacks were full and focused, every blow light and precise. Even though his strikes were small, they still packed enough punch to where Pidge could feel it. Fighting for the first time in four years without her bayard made Pidge.. uneasy. She hadn't been aware of just how much she'd relied on the weapon. Even with the foreign feeling, she was able to hold her ground against Lotor's quick movements. She was nimble and fast enough to dodge most of his attacks while landing a few of her own. After what felt merely like moments (but in reality was almost fifteen minutes) they stopped to breathe and both leaned over, chests heaving.

"You're.. better than I imagined." Lotor wheezed out, poking at his ribs and wincing. "I've got bruises."

Pidge stood up to her full height, hands on her hips. "Most people underestimate me because of my small stature. It helps sometimes." She glanced over at him. "Are you alright?"

The question immediately brought Lotor to full height, and he grinned. "More than alright, but I'm afraid that I'm not hitting you hard enough."

Pidge couldn't help but smile. "Finally. Don't forget, I was-"

"You're a paladin of Voltron. Don't worry- I won't forget." This time Pidge herself leaped forward and initiated the attack. Lotor dodged her strikes with ease, though Pidge still had something up her sleeve. Feigning a kick to Lotor's knee, Pidge used the momentum to drop her foot back down and launch herself upward, her leg coming up to land on Lotor's shoulder. Before he could push her off, her other leg came up and wrapped around the other side of his throat, so she was essentially choking him with her thighs. She grabbed the bottom of his jaw and pulled, closing off any possible air tunnel.

Lotor leaned and slammed them both to the floor, Pidge taking the brunt of the impact in her leg. Biting her lip, Pidge didn't let go. Well, not until Lotor tapped her leg, signaling that she'd won. Unwrapping and sliding out, Pidge gave Lotor some time to breathe. When he looked up, he didn't have a joking grin on his face as she'd expected.

No, his face was filled with awe.

He righted himself on the floor, facing her. "You're stunning. Perfect form, wonderful focus and technique." Pidge blushed underneath all his compliments, biting her lip. "I want to kiss you." This made her pause, and then Lotor's eyes when he realized what he'd said. "I- I, uh-"

"What are you waiting for?" Pidge's heart was beating quickly, but she wasn't focused on how loud it was in her one ears. the only person she could see was Lotor.

He was staring at her, jaw slack, mouth trying to form words. "I- what?"

"What," She said again, hyper focused on his face- on his lips. "are you waiting for?"

In an instant Lotor was right in front of her, close enough to feel his shaky breath. "Are you sure?" He whispered, hands coming up but not quite touching her face.

"Yes," She breathed, and his hands slid across her face, thumbs carefully tracing her cheekbones.

"Katherine," He said, bringing Pidge's gaze up from his mouth. "I'm in love with you."

Though he'd said this before, something about the way he said it this time made her body shake. Her heart pounded even more in her chest, and her hands were shaking from where they were braced on the ground.

"I'm in love with you too."

These simple but powerful words brought the most beautiful smile Pidge had ever seen, and they leaned forward as one, lips crashing together hungrily. Pidge's hands cane up of their own accord to grab anything they could get ahold of- threading through his beautiful hair, squeezing his beautiful arms, cupping his beautiful face.

Her ribs were hurting, so she let go of him with her hands (but not her lips) and moved closer, and Lotor grabbed her waist and suddenly her legs were around him, her torso flush against his. Pidge wasn't aware of anything besides the feeling of Lotor on her- his lips, his hands. Their kiss was chaotic- a mess of hands and skin and mouths, skin already slick with sweat.

They wrenched apart then- there was this unfortunate habit of needing air- and Lotor was Looking at her with half-lidded eyes. He leaned forward again, but instead of taking her ready mouth he kissed around it, every inch of sweaty skin on her face, and she laughed when he started to nibble on her ear. Her hands carded through his now messy hair- the first time she'd seen it that way (even when he woke up every strand seemed to be in immaculate condition). The silver strands had escaped the hairband they'd been trapped in, and were now laying beautifully down his back.

"Katherine, you don't have to say yes, but do you-"

"Yes," Pidge was kissing him again, murmuring the words over and over like a chant. Lotor squeezed her sides and a small moan escaped her mouth- immediately Lotor was up and pulling Pidge to her feet, not even bothering to gather their items before they were gone.

They raced along the corridor hand in hand, giggling all the while. Apparently, Pidge hadn't been moving fast enough for Lotor's tastes, because he scooped her up and almost sprinted back to her room. (Her legs were like jelly and wouldn't move as fast as she wanted.)

She laughed as Lotor nuzzled her neck as they finally got to their room, the door firmly closing behind them. He wasn't quite biting her- just pulling at the skin with his lips, trailing goosebumps. She shivered and played with the nape of his neck, his beautiful skin smooth and soft under her fingertips.

"Are you sure?" He finally said, his melodic voice pitched low in a whisper.

She leaned back in his arms, gaze meeting with unclouded focus. "More than sure." She said, "So how long are you going to make me wait?"

He kissed her again, and she lost all sense of surroundings until her back was pressed against the bed and Lotor's lips disconnected from hers. A small noise of disapproval escaped her, causing a laugh to rise out of the Galran King.

"Just a moment, dear. I'd like to have everything in order before we begin, don't you think?"

Pidge blushed and nodded, biting her lip as she watched him hurry around the room. It was taking longer than anticipated- especially because Lotor would return to her for more kisses every few seconds. She hurriedly took her shirt off when he was turned around and laughed at his dumbfounded expression.

"What?" She giggled, "I'm not going to wait all night." Finally in what seemed like forever Lotor had all that he wanted and returned to her, grinning.

"I feel as if I should catch up." He smiled and easily rid himself of his own shirt, pulling it over his head in one fluid movement. Pidge bit her lip and moved back on the bed, inviting him closer.

Her adrenaline had kicked in, and she was overly aware of everything as Lotor climbed onto the bed, putting himself in front of her.

"Are you sure?" He asked again, taking her hands but not kissing them. Pidge smiled and answered him with a kiss to both of his hands and then put her lips to his. She loved the feeling of their skin together- it was electrifying and she couldn't wait to feel more.

Lotor fingers glided over the skin on her hips and lower back smoothly and carefully, as if she would break if he pressed too hard. He moved so slowly she felt that he was trying to map her body to remember later.

That's what she was doing anyway.

It was a complete contrast from how fast and heavy their lips were moving against each other, the way they would pull apart and immediately come back together, like waves crashing, trying to capsize a boat. Then her hands were moving quicker too, anywhere she could get them, grabbing at every inch of skin and enjoying the hell out of it. It was then Lotor started to kiss her neck that she felt her breath leave her completely, stretching her neck to allow more contact, toes curling.

That was definitely something she liked.

It wasn't long before Pidge was ready to remove the rest of her clothing, and she laughed at Lotor's pout when she pulled away.

"Just to make sure," She said, "this is something you want too, right?"

"If you do, then yes."

Pidge bit her lip, suddenly shy. "I do."

xx

The next morning Pidge awaked snuggled in Lotor's arms. her thighs ached as she stretched her legs, yawning.

"Morning, love. How do you feel?"

"Sleepy." She sighed and heard Lotor chuckle. Her eyes were closed and she was surrounded by warmth, and she wanted to keep it that way thank you very much.

She felt Lotor press a kiss to her hairline. "We're going to have to get up dear. They've already knocked on our door twice."

"Oh, fine." She rolled over and stretched again, her eyes finally opening.

Star stones glowed on the ceiling, casting a warm light over them. Turning her head, she saw Lotor gazing fondly down at her.

"You're adorable." He said, and Pidge blushed, rubbing at her eyes.

"What the plan for today?" She asked. She then realized that she was still naked, but didn't bother to cover herself. After all, Lotor liked her breasts. Lotor himself seemed to notice this at the same time Pidge had and became distracted, making her giggle.

"Oh, uh," He said, snapping his eyes elsewhere. "We'll be going to Olkarion to attend more negotiation meetings there. I'm afraid that's all we'll be doing for a while."

"That's not a problem." Pidge said easily, a wicked smile overcoming her face. "I'm sure that's not all we'll be doing though."

Lotor smiled and shook his head. "I don't know what I was thinking. You're right as usual, my dear."

"Kiss me?"

"Of course."

xx

If her friends thought her and Lotor couldn't keep their hands to themselves before, it was worse now.

Now Pidge was overly aware of their many shared lingering touches. She was aware of his lungs when he breathed (because her arm was usually wrapped around him) and loved the way her body fit perfectly alongside his.

She was especially aware of just how much she was used to it when he was gone.

/Bringing back breakfast/ was hastily written on a piece of paper, a heart drawn beside it. The look of it made Pidge smile.

They were now on the planet Olkarion, and all the negotiations were going nicely, everyone staying civil and well represented. Pidge herself was being treated with upmost respect, which she hadn't been expecting after Balmera. She appreciated it immensely though, and it made her feel like a real queen.

Well, she really was a real queen.

Lotor himself even mentioned how much better she was getting at the meetings.

Though her life was always busy Pidge still found time to miss her friends. She hadn't been able to talk with any of them since they'd been at her parents' house, what with the different times and such. She hoped they were doing okay.

She was currently on a tour of the overgrown forest by Lord Ryner. The original Olkari rebel leader had been asked to take the title of Lord when the war had been won, and thankfully she'd accepted.

They walked in silence most of the time, Lord Ryner letting Pidge take in the scenery on her own. She'd been there before anyway, and recognized most of the vegetation. The colors were lovely and made Pidge think fondly of her lion. She wondered where they were and her heart ached to see them again. As she thought, her chest grew warm and she was suddenly aware of a dull thrum in the back of her head.

Perking up, Pidge looked over at the Olkarion lord. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Ryner asked, but Pidge only shook her head. The Olkari had a better sense of hearing than any race.

"Never mind. Probably just my ears ringing."

Lord Ryner looked alarmed. "They do that?"

Pidge smiled sheepishly and then realized what it was- Green was purring through their bond.

She hadn't heard her since they parted ways- before Pidge married Lotor.

The sound was soothing, yet it alarmed Pidge. Why after all this time was Green communicating with her? It couldn't be because Pidge was missing her- Pidge missed her all the time. Green was trying to console her all the way across the universe. Tears pricked her eyes and her throat became tight.

"Queen Katherine, are you alright?"

"I'm perfect." She managed to say, wiping her face. "And please, continue to call me Pidge."

Though the lord looked confused, she shook her head. "I'm afraid your rank means too much to me to do that- I hope I don't offend. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I am, thank you. I'm sorry to cur this short, but do you mind if I go back to Lotor? I need to tell him something."

"It's no problem." Lord Tyner said, graciously bowing her head. "I hope you had a pleasant time."

"I really did," Pidge assured her, feeling rude. "It's as beautiful as always."

"I'm afraid I didn't get you a gift for your wedding." Ryner said suddenly, but continued before Pidge was able to assure her that it was fine. "Would you like to take one of these plants with you?"

"Really? Is that okay?"

"Say whatever you wish, my queen, and it will be done."

Pidge blushed and looked around. "I would love to take a sprout home to my own garden."

"If you wish to plant in the Galran soil, there are some plants better suited for the environment. I'll have a pot of each sent to your room for you to take on your journey."

"Thank you so much!" Pidge exclaimed, eyes lighting up in delight. She could've sworn she saw a tint to Ryner's cheeks.

"It's my honor, Queen Katherine."

Ryner led Pidge back to the building Lotor was in before being pulled away in business. After asking around, Pidge found him in the library, a map of Olkarion spread out before him on the table. He smiled when he saw her.

"Hello, darling. You're back early," His tone turned teasing. "I was expecting to have to drag you back."

Pidge smiled, abashed. "Something exciting happened."

"What's that?"

"I heard Green."

Lotor's smile grew wide. "Really? That's amazing! What did she say?"

"Nothing really, she was just purring. I was thinking about her like usual, but this is the first time I've heard her."

Lotor hummed in thought. "Perhaps the lions are close by. We are in a quadrant near Earth, so it makes sense to be around that general area."

Pidge nodded. "That's what I was thinking."

"Your mind is beautiful, my dear."

Pidge beamed in pride, only then taking a real look at the books around her husband. "What're you looking for?"

"Oh, I'm just looking for some hiking trails. I thought that you might like to go before we leave for the next planet."

"That'd be awesome! I'd love to."

Lotor smiled, pleased. "I'm glad to hear that. What are your plans for the rest of the evening, if I may ask?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." Pidge laughed. "I don't have anything I really want to do.. except maybe you."

Lotor grinned and rolled his eyes. "Darling, you're so full of great ideas."

xx

I'd just like to apologize for how late this chapter is! Life has been hectic, and this chapter itself is about a thousand words under what I usually write, but I feel bad for how longs it's been since I updated. I hope to make it up to you with the future chapters! This is probably either the end or close to the end of the first arc of this story. Don't worry, I have many plans for the future.

Thank you everyone for reading, and I hope you enjoy this work :)

~Lexie


End file.
